Phoenix from Ashes
by HalfSaiyanHeart
Summary: It's Chichi's coronation weekend, and several preparations are being made by the Imperial Family. Returning to a royal lifestyle isn't easy, especially with the death of her husband, political rivals or threatened coup d'etats-but Chichi must rise to claim power for herself, her sons and the throne. Part two of the Ox Princess Trilogy and sequel to One Must Wonder.
1. Revelations

"Gohan! Don't turn up the music too loud!" Chichi's stern voice rang out over the blaring sound of music playing from the radio and Goten's laughing. Chichi and her sons had been stuck in traffic for an hour on their way to the Ox King's palace. Gohan reduced the volume of _Cruise_ by _Attom._ The twelve year old laughed, scratching the back of his head, mimicking his father. The royal felt a pang at his actions.

It was a week before the coronation and final preparations were being made to welcome the Queen-to-be. The widow had yet to pick Goten's outfit for the occasion and a comfortable pair of shoes for the event. Chichi couldn't help but feel nervous about going back to the village where she grew up. Would she succeed? Would she fail? What if she embarrassed herself and Gohan so badly that her father would demand never to see her again?

 _ **Come on. Lighten up.**_

 _Well, it's not everyday you fight your father to become a Queen,_ she grumbled to her subconscious; the young, teenage side to her that had clung to her mind since she had married Goku.

 _ **If I didn't know better, I'd say you were related to that Saiyan Prince Vegeta. Look at your attitude!**_

 _Shut up._

 ** _You shut up. We're never going to get to see Daddy now!_**

 _If you shut your beak, maybe we_ _will_ _get somewhere!_

The trio would have arrived at Chogong village hours ago had the traffic not been so appalling.

Rough, calloused hands gripped the steering wheel in annoyance. "This is outrageous!" Chichi cried. "We left home an hour before traffic could start, and we've been here for almost two!" Gohan peered into the side view mirror. "There's a long line behind us, too," he added. "At this rate, we'll be there at sunset." His head swerved round to the back seat to observe his brother, who was nodding off to sleep.

"Uh, mum, Goten's falling asleep."

"Screw this, we're flying." Chichi's patience had worn thin at the little improvement of traffic and her last nerve wasn't going to last. "Get out of the car, Gohan. Take Goten as well." On her word, the Son trio were soon flying through the air, leaving behind stunned drivers. Some people even got out of their vehicles to get a glimpse of the supernatural events occurring. Screams of "What the hell is that?!" and "Someone call the police!" rang in the ears of the group.

The eldest grandson of the Ox King glanced down at the sea of cars and ant-looking humans below them. "I feel sorry for them. They're going to be there forever." He turned his attention to his brother, beginning to tickle the toddler's stomach. Goten giggled in delight, his bronze-coloured appendage waving in the air. His sleepiness seemed to have vanished from his features.

"Well, Goten's not tired anymore," Chichi sighed in relief, tucking the encapsulated car into the pocket of her dress.

"Yep. If he did go to sleep his tail would wrap around my arm for ages. Not that it's annoying, but he gets more heavy."

* * *

The trio carried on flying in silence for fifteen minutes before the view of city roads and buildings turned into small suburban homes and dusty roads. Chichi's eyes squinted in recognition. She suddenly spotted a large, golden palace tucked away by several oak trees. A small, but larger than average speck of a human sat on the front lawn.

"There it is!" Chichi exclaimed, pointing at the palace. She began to land, beckoning Gohan to do the same. The man sat in quite a large armchair, reading a book. The sound of landing feet made him look up. "Chichi!" he bellowed. "And my lovely grandsons!" the burly grandfather rose from his seat and brought his daughter and grandsons into a large grip.

"I missed you too, dad." Chichi hugged her father back. She was in no pain from the crushing grip and she seemed to be used to it, compared to Gohan who was struggling for air.

 _"_ Grandpa... let go... can't _... breathe..."_ he rasped.

The Ox King released his relatives, startled. "Oh sorry, Gohan, I didn't notice my strength for a second, he laughed. "Oh dear, where are my manners? I didn't give you a proper welcome." The monarch snapped his fingers, and before the group lay a velvet red carpet leading to the door, with several maids and butlers on either side.

"Welcome Princess Chichi, Princes Gohan and Goten, to Chogong Palace," they chorused happily, excited to have the family of their king for a visit.

"Thank you!" Gohan bowed. The servants did the same. One butler walked to Chichi and bowed once more. "Your Highness, do you have any baggage we could carry inside?"

"No thanks, I encapsulated it. It's nice of you to ask."

"No worries, Miss." The man smiled and stepped back into line. The servants once again bowed as the royals made their way into the gleaming building. Gohan was left gaping in awe at the masses of servants scurrying around the place, bowing as they saw the royals, as well as the many paintings, statues and marble hallways once he stepped in.

The hybrid stopped at a particular picture, seven feet in height. The Ox King, younger, larger and burlier, sat grinning proudly on his golden throne, donning robes that symbolized royalty. An enormous green-red axe sat at the foot of the throne. A beautiful chestnut haired lady, who Gohan assumed to be his grandmother, wore a pale blue Chinese dress similar to his mother's, smiling, looking as radiant as the sun, standing on the steps to the throne. Finally, his eyes rested on a little girl with gleaming black eyes, dressed in a blue and white chestplate, completed with a billowing blue skirt. She wore a golden tiara despite the fact that she had a blue helmet tucked under her arm. She also stood on the steps, opposite her mother.

"Wow..." he trailed off.

"That was painted a few months before your grandmother passed away," the Ox King sighed.

"Oh... I'm sorry..."

"Don't be," Chichi sighed, closing her eyes. "Anyway, I grew up in this village as a little girl. Do you like it?" Chichi asked.

"Like is an understatement, Mum. It's amazing. You have so many people waiting on you hand and foot! And the portraits are amazing." the preteen turned to his mother. "How come you never told me about this place before?"

The Ox King spoke up. "Oh, Chichi did bring you here before, but you were a tiny baby," he sighed happily, thinking of a bygone time. Before the Saiyans, Androids and Cell, a peaceful time when the newest Prince had been born and every member of the royal family, including close friends, were excited about the arrival. "Everyone was here. Do you remember Bradley?"

"You mean my Brad?" Chichi hadn't seen much of her cousin at all after Gohan's birth, thanks to her motherly duties and housework. Despite the two being first cousins, they felt a bond siblings would normally have. "He must miss me after all these years. I bet he has a beard!" she giggled at the image.

"He constantly shaves, honey." the Ox King chuckled. "He insists he doesn't want to look like his old man, or his "Odin-looking Uncle Daniel (me)."

"That sounds like him alright. I can't wait for you to meet the rest of my family Gohan," the princess announced, placing her hands on her firstborn's shoulders. "You'll love them. It'll replace the need to meet more relatives after... _Raditz_..." she hissed.

Gohan flinched at the mentioning of his estranged uncle, the man who had turned his life upside down and yet made some of it better, in terms of strength and survival. Forcing the horrifying memories out of his mind, he turned to a pair of silver double doors, so grand and elaborately detailed that he thought it was to magnificent a piece of art to be used as a mere door.

"Those are beautiful doors," he praised to his grandfather.

"That's nothing compared to what they lead to."

* * *

Gohan stared at his grandfather in confusion as the double doors slowly creaked open, to reveal the most baronial building of a treasure vault. Mountains of coins and golden artifacts towered above the quartet, gleaming and shining in all their glory, stretching so far down it was almost impossible to see the floor. For that reason, the Ox King had ordered a a few bridges and stairs to be built to explore the huge vault thoroughly.

Chichi could not believe how wide her son's eyes were, and how close to the floor his gaping mouth hung.

"How... what... when..." he stuttered. The Ox Princess and King chuckled at his immense confusion and utter shock.

"If you're wondering why I used to say we were struggling with money," she began, "It's because Dad never told me about this basement of money he had hidden here."

"Master Roshi's Kamehameha caused a lot of wreckage on the surface, but I made sure the vault was underground. I also thought it would be best to keep it from you until you were ready to accept your inheritance, Chi," he confessed, calling her by her childhood nickname. The monarch looked at his eldest grandson. "We're almost as rich as Boxer with this money!"

"Who?"

"Boxer Briefs. My school-friend."

Chichi wrinkled her nose in confusion.

"Bulma's father?"

"Ohhh."

"Next week, if your mother is worthy, she will inherit all this, and more, and so may you, Gohan." That statement broke the hybrid from his reverie. He blinked at his grandfather, shocked again. "Me...I... will get... _all_ of this?" he whispered, pointing to himself.

"And more."

"No way..." Gohan was speechless.

" _Yes_ way, kiddo. At first I kept this from you because I wanted you to have a normal enough life as much as possible." Chichi lamented as they walked on. "But Goku's Saiyan heritage and the battles got in the way..." She paused to glance at golden and silver statues of previous monarchs.

"What else haven't you told me?"

"That you have an eighth of demon blood." Chichi confessed.

Gohan stopped walking. "Really?" the prince was stunned. He knew being a Saiyan made him strong and powerful, but... _demon heritage?_ No wonder he got angry at Cell. "That makes sense, Mum...you told me your grandfather was the demon King Damorus."

"Correct." the princess nodded. "I have just twenty-five percent of it, while the other seventy-five percent is human genes." She pointed over her shoulder to her father, who was unlocking a glass vault. "Dad is half and half, really. A demon-human hybrid."

"But... you hid _all_ this from me?"

"Mm-hmm. I regret it mostly. I should help you control your demon powers, should they choose to spiral out of control," Chichi smiled. Taking her son's hand, she led him over to her father. "Dad and I will help you control it."

Gohan nodded in anticipation and turned to the unlocked artifact. The weapon was similar in colour to the Bansho Fan, however there were noticeable differences between the latter and this new one.

"This is the Bansho Axe, Gohan," the Ox King confirmed. "Your mother told you about the Bansho Fan and how it did a lot of damage to my previous castle, right? Well this is a lot worse," he muttered. He picked up the axe, which formed a blazing purple frenzy of fire as soon as his flesh came into contact with the golden handle. The king grinned at his grandson's sudden interest.

Twirling the axe round in his hands, King Daniel began to speak. "I own this axe," he stated proudly. "When I don't use it, I store it here, for safekeeping, he said, gesturing to the open cabinet. He held out the axe slightly for Gohan to feel the smooth handle. "This axe has been passed down the royal family for generations. Only a worthy King or Queen can yield it." He ran his fingers over the pointed blade, examining the scratches from previous battles. Chichi decided to continue.

"The idea is the prince or princess must fight their predecessor before the coronation for the right to yield it. I will be fighting your grandfather for it next Saturday."

"If the heir wins, the axe will accept the person as its owner, causing it to set alight with purple fire, like it is now. If the heir fails, they won't be able to lift it because of their weakness."

"So it's kind of like Thor and Mjolnir from Norse Mythology?" Gohan queried.

"Yep." Chichi nodded. "I didn't even know you studied it. Now that I think about it, I don't think I ever set you a task like that," she thought, resting her chin on her hand, pondering.

"Dad told me he was training in Otherworld with this guy called King Kai." Gohan's tail swayed slowly. "I was curious about how Gods work and what they do. I just had to find out more." he added.

Chichi smiled, ruffling the boy's hair. "That's my little scholar. Always researching and finding out about the world," she praised, and Gohan couldn't stop his cheeks from flushing red.

The Ox King carefully placed the axe back in the glass cabinet. "My father fought his mother for the axe, I fought my father for it. And soon, Chichi will rise to claim it by fighting me," he concluded. "Maybe even you, Gohan," he praised.

Chichi placed her hand on Gohan's left shoulder, and the King's on the right. Both looked down at him with a sense of pride, affection and confidence. They were both sure he would succeed. For a moment it seemed like Gohan would become King and not his mother.

"You... think I'm up for it?" Gohan asked shyly.

"That's a question I should be asking Dad, really," Chichi grinned. "All this talk has made me hungry!" she exclaimed, stretching her arms, letting out a silent yawn. "And tired. I think I'm going to eat and then crash. Let's ask Magda to make her special!" She began to walk back to the door.

"Chicken noodle soup it is," the Ox King cheered. "I'm starving!" The monarch followed his heir to the dining hall.

"That sounds delicious." Gohan held the long-since sleeping Goten and followed. He was pretty sure his life was turning around for the better, and hopefully, his mother would be okay too.


	2. Preparations

Chichi strolled through the lush royal gardens with a rather handsome young man with Seal Brown hair and cerulean eyes. The infant Prince in his arms coiled his tail around his arm and then went back to sucking his thumb.

"That's a terrible story, Chi," exclaimed Prince Bradley, holding Goten closer. "That must be terrible. I can't imagine it." He shook his head, failing to imagine being in Chichi's position.

"I know. Then... he just left without a trace. What's worse is that Gohan partially blames himself for Goku's death. I don't know how much more he can take," conceded the younger Princess. "What worse, it's really awkward having an heir without a Prince Consort. I just don't know what to do."

Bradley gave her a sad look. "That means this little fella won't have a father in his life," he stated sadly, kissing the infant's forehead. "He at least needs a father figure. I'll try to be there for him."

"Thanks, Bradley. But what about your kids? I can watch them for you, if you like." Chichi offered.

"It's alright, kid. Shanumi's watching them. Speaking of babies, I should go check on them," he announced. "How about we meet at the ballroom later and go grab some coffee when you're done teaching Gohan?"

Chichi shrugged. "Sure, if you're paying," she giggled.

"Alright, alright. See you later, Chi." The Duke handed the baby to the nurse, Rebecca, and flew out of the gardens to the royal nursery.

 _ **If he wasn't our cousin, I'd totally go out with him.**_

 _You are disgusting. How could you ever imagine that?_

 ** _Ok, Ok. That may have been gross. But there aren't many guys as kind as him._**

 _Except_ _for Goku.._

 ** _True, but he was always training. Son-kun was never really the romantic type._**

 _I am never taking any advice from you again._

The sound of a nurse's pattering shoes broke Chichi out of her bickering with her alter-ego. Magda called to Chichi from the entrance to the royal hall. "Your Highness. Prince Gohan is in the simulation chamber and is awaiting your arrival."

"Great," Chichi replied, approaching the maid. "Let's go." Suddenly Chichi felt a tug on her dress. Looking down, she latched onto the eyes of a mixed-race infant. A little blue shirt, imprinted with the royal seal, baggy black shorts and a little blue hat completed his features. Curly brown hair poked out of the crown-looking hat. The child stared up at Chichi with huge, innocent olive eyes.

"Hey, Emmanuel," the Princess cooed, picking up her nephew. "What are you doing out here?" The infant was a few months younger than Goten, yet he had begun to walk at six months. The little Prince giggled, clapping his hands. Without warning, he grabbed a handful of Chichi's hair, which wasn't up, and yanked it hard.

Chichi' made a wry face. "Ow!" she yelped. " _Don't_ pull my hair, Emmanuel."

The Princess was known to lose her temper very easily; if something didn't go her way she would explode with anger. Magda didn't want that, so as soon as she saw Rebecca shrinking away, she knew she had to calm the royal down.

The ginger-haired maid shuffled towards the heir. "Your Highness," she started, "Please don't get upset."

The wife of Goku blinked at Magda. "Everything's fine," she insisted. "He won't do it again, will you, _Emmy_?" Emmanuel started to cry at the sound of the nickname, while Magda cringed.

"He does have a strong grip for an infant," Chichi praised, noticing how the child stopped crying as soon as she complimented him. "Emmanuel just might be on par with Goten." She handed the prince to Magda. "Take him and Goten back to the nursery, please."

"At once, Your Highness." Magda replied, bowing in respect. Both her and Rebecca made their way into the palace halls. Chichi followed them, on her way to teach Gohan.

* * *

West City was buzzing with life and energy on a Wednesday afternoon, with the sounds of car engines and people going about their daily business. Neon screens brightened up the buildings, which were beautiful at night, illuminating the city. Capsule Corporation was busy as it usually was, with multiple scientists scurrying around the working floors to test experiments and run tests. But the living quarters he;d a silence that couldn't seem to break.

Bulma Cassandra Briefs, CEO of Capsule Corp, was in a bad mood.

First, her experiment on creating glasses blocking out the Blutz waves failed. She applied a certain chemical to the lens, causing the lab to almost explode into pieces. Second, her idiot of a partner, Vegeta, had demanded that she fix the Gravity Chamber, after breaking it for the _fourth_ time that week. And, to top that all off, her son's tail had randomly grown back, brewing up countless arguments between herself and the Prince debating on whether he should keep it or not.

"My life is ridiculous. I work, work work, and no rest. DO these people think I'm a robot?" she huffed, lighting a cigarette, putting it to her lips. A few seconds later, she breathed out, a puff of smoke escaping from her lips.

The billionaire huffed in annoyance as she flicked through tabloids full of ridiculous stories about most celebrities. Rumours about affairs, money loss and breakups poured through the magazines. She stopped at a certain page of a picture of Trunks she had posted on InstantGram. She glanced down at the headline, which read:

 _ **What a cute little boy! But who is the father?**_

 _'CEO Bulma Briefs won't reveal to us who Trunks' father is! Does the father not want to be known? Is he even in the boy's life? Is Bulma Briefs even married? Most think that the two year old's father is Yamcha, the famous baseball player,' one source read._

Bulma rolled her eyes at that comment.

She dropped the magazine on the coffee table, plopping down onto the sofa. _There's never anything interesting to look at these days,_ she thought, as she turned the TV, switching through the numerous channels. _Everything was a lot more fun around here when Goku was alive. I wonder how Chichi and the boys are doing?_

Over the years, Goku had become like a surrogate brother to Bulma. From the adventures to the battles to the tournaments, everything had been tough, and sometimes stressful, but the Saiyan had always been there to lighten up everyone's day.

She snorted. _Except Vegeta, obviously._ The news channel looked a little interesting, so she stopped at the channel and let the program play.

"Funny you should turn on the news today, Bulma," a voice chirped from behind the sofa.

"Huh?" Bulma turned round, staring at her mother, holding two glasses of lemonade. "Would you like one, darling?" she asked sweetly.

"Yes, thank you Mum." The turquoise-haired woman took the drink as her mother sank into the sofa next to her, sipping their drinks and watching the news channel. After a few quiet minutes watching the news, Bunny Briefs decided to spark a conversation. "I heard something about Chichi in a newspaper, hun," she said.

"What about?" Bulma asked. Her mother's comment was strange. Chichi never really liked being in the public's eyes too much, so what has she done that caught the press' attention?

"Something about...Oh gosh, my memory is terrible these days..." Bunny trailed off as she tried to remember what she head read. "Oh!" she suddenly blinked. "She's having a coronation next week!"

The lemonade in Bulma's mouth spurted out like a golden waterfall across the room. "Wh...WHAT?! A CORONATION?!" she exclaimed loudly. "Chichi's a Princess again?" her face filled with happiness and joy for her raven-haired friend quickly turned back to anger. "DID SHE FORGET TO INVITE ME?!"

"Of course she remembered you, sweetheart," her mother reassured. "I came to give you your invitation." Bunny dug into her pocket, pulling out an elaborately detailed letter similar to the one Chichi had received months before.

Bulma didn't bother to be calm or polite. She snatched the letter out of Bunny's hands, who frowned a bit, and ripped the cover open. She noticed how carefully and neatly Chichi had written it.

 _To Bulma Cassandra Briefs, CEO of Capsule Corp._

 _It's been so long! How are you?!_

 _I am pleased to announce that the battle for the Bansho Axe is next Saturday, at Chogong village. My coronation follows on Sunday at noon at the abbey and you are gladly invited to participate!_

 _You can bring as many people as you like. You can bring Trunks, if you like. Goten will be there too so it'd be nice for him to have a playmate. I'll be surprised if Vegeta shows up!_

 _I look forward to seeing you there. Myself, Gohan and my family are excited to see you again after so long. We must catch up on things._

 _Love, Chichi_

 _P.S The dress code is either red, white or blue. Dress nicely! What about those white heels you had? You'd look nice in those._

The whole of Capsule Corporation shook as the biggest squeal they had ever heard in their lives rang out of the building.

* * *

Gohan blinked, looking up in a startled fashion. "D-did I just hear Bulma... _squealing_?" he asked to his mother, who was currently using a holographic keyboard. Chichi didn't know how to answer his question at first, since she didn't hear anything. _Gohan's Saiyan blood is at work again._

"I guess she got my letter then," she laughed nervously. She expanded a particular hologram of a mountain. Using her hands, she widened the space between them, causing the image to expand. The princess clicked on the circle, which read _Start._ The bright lights in the stadium-sized chamber dimmed, the window leading to the observation area closed down. all leaving a blue hue behind.

 _"Initiating simulation sequence,"_ a cold, metallic female voice rang out from the speakers above. _"Winter Terrain selected."_

" 'Winter Terrain?' " Gohan repeated. "What's that for?"

"It's to help you train." Chichi replied. "A demon's body can adapt to warm and cool temperatures, but we can't adapt to freezing temperatures straight away. I used this simulation to help me control my form a long time ago. I think I was about fourteen," she said, squinting her eyes.

The steel walls of the chamber suddenly faded to a cold blizzard. The ceiling had become a starry night sky, accompanied with a large, silver moon. The mountain, previously a small holographic model, had transformed into a proud image, towering above the royal duo. Tiny specks off snow bounced off their arms, causing them to shiver. They appeared to be quite cold.

"Looks like I f-forgot to bring w-warm clothes," she stuttered, shivering in her thin Chinese dress. She glanced at her firstborn, studying his not-so-protective purple gi and black spandex shirt. "Sorry about that."

Gohan wasn't sure what was going to happen. Yes, he was going to control his demon form. But... _how_ was he supposed to bring it out? His mother hadn't exactly shown him first _before_ turning on the simulation. He hadn't even got to study the paintings of previous demon Kings and Queens the night before. He didn't even ask his grandfather. The Prince shivered again. He swore he could feel his bones rattling.

"I k-know what you're th-thinking, G-Gohan," Chichi rasped. "D-do what you did to b-bring out the Super S-Saiyan in you." The boy just blinked at his mother.

"I think I understand, Mum," he breathed. He cocked his head to the right. "S-something's coming." The sound he heard was almost robotic roars. The hybrid couldn't place it, but it sounded deadly.

"That'll be the drones, then," she concluded, as if talking about the weather. "You trained for a year in the forests, right? Well you should know about survival. I'll leave you to do your thing." The Princess leapt into the air. All that was let of her was a small purple blur in the horizon. The hybrid was a little surprised at his mother's lack of protectiveness. About a year ago, she would be holding him close to her, complaining about how careless Goku was. Right now, she had left him to find his own way. The boy finally knew that she felt guilty for holding him back to much. She wanted him to feel a sense of independence and maturity. _It seems like she took some tips from Dad_ , he thought. _I wonder what Mum looks like in her demon form? Hopefully not too scary-_

Something hard and cold slammed into the boy's side before he could finish his thought. The Saiyan went flying through the air, tumbling towards the ground rolling around until coming to a painful stop. Four large, scaly beasts surrounded the Prince, growling softly. Hard, black eyes fixed onto his every move.

"Never let your guard down!" Chichi's voice buzzed from a distance.

"Roger that," Gohan replied, snarling at the monsters before him. As he stood up, he could feel his Saiyan side screaming- _kill them all_ \- but he pushed it down, keeping his anger in check. While his Saiyan side was calmed, a new, profound kind of rage broke into his mind, seeping through the wounds of his heart. Gohan was so concentrated on which monster to attack first that he didn't notice the dark shade of red creeping up his arms.

The Ox Prince burst into Super Saiyan, a golden aura engulfing him in its glory. With a yell, he pushed out his arms, causing an electrifying wind to blow the monsters back. More swarms of beasts flew to the boy, but couldn't penetrate the thick, blaring amount of Ki protecting the Saiyan as he ignored them, powering up. His normal shade of pale, milky skin had turned into a crimson red. His usually blue Super Saiyan eyes were a stark, shining green. Short, but sharp fangs stuck out of his mouth, threatening to spill blood. Parts of his hair were bigger and spikier. His hair grew longer, resting on his shoulders. Grey horns stood proudly on top of his head, making the boy seem like a dangerous deity: a God.

Gohan could feel this new rush of power pulsing through his veins. He looked down at his hands, at first shocked at his transformation. He smirked, charging up a Ki ball in his hand, which was coloured purple and black, instead of the usual blue. He aimed it at the first group of beasts and fired, hitting them all dead in the centre. The preteen turned and began to walk away. It wasn't until he was about a few kilometers away that the groups of beasts finally exploded in a purple frenzy of fire and smoke.

Chichi, fighting monsters of her own, kicked one on her left, blasted one on her right and punched the last remaining one. She knew they would die once they hit the ground. She suddenly swerved to the left, narrowly missing being hit by a beast. Confusedly turning towards the direction of her son, could spot his moving form. She examined his every move, proud of his accomplishment.

"Well, he's finally done it," she breathed.

* * *

The Prince and Princess' movements were being held through a glowing, glass ball. The being spying on them had plans, plans that he could not spread to anyone but his prized soldier and his advisors.

The mysterious being clicked and held down a red button. He leaned towards the microphone on his desk. "Send in the Asset," he ordered.

" _Right away, Sir_ ," a muffled, crackling voice buzzed from the speaker.

There were no footsteps or wailing hinges to be heard after a few seconds as the Asset silently slipped through the door. The soldier had been well- trained over the year spent with the man, giving the fighter food, water and clothing. For that, the soldier would forever remain grateful to the handler.

The Asset, a tiny human in comparison to the numerous muscly guards surrounding the room, approached the handler and bowed, showing a great amount of respect and honour for the man. The soldier rose from its resting place on the cold, steel floor. The young fighter drew to its full height, which was nowhere near to the handler's height, especially since he was sitting down.

The handler, his back turned to the Asset, spoke load and clear, with a horrible edge of fake sympathy and coldness to his voice.

"Do you know what I am asking of you, Asset?"

The Asset nodded, but the handler didn't need to turn around to know the answer was a yes.

"You, more than anyone, know what I desire, don't you?"

Another slight nod.

"I want the Mao Royals _dead at my feet."_ The handler continued, a sinister aura surrounding him. A sharp knife went hurtling towards the Asset, which it caught with ease, although the pointed blade aimed at its forehead. _That was just a reflex._

"It's a relief to see you've been keeping up with your training, _Leilani_. That way I know you'll bring back the new Ox Prince's head when you're finished?"

The child flinched at the name. It didn't like the sound of it. Leilani was _so_ unfitting for the Asset. Of course, she couldn't say that out loud, or her handler would kill her. The Asset couldn't help but shudder at his comment. It _couldn't_ kill the Ox Prince- the Asset would surely be discovered and most likely killed for treason. But it wasn't like the Asset to disobey its master. After all, it wasn't like it had failed its nine other missions. However, there was someone it needed to-

"You understand what I'm asking you to do, _don't_ you, Leilani?" The handler picked up a forgotten apple on his desk, rolling it between his fingers. The soldier flinched at the sight of the fruit. The child couldn't understand why he called it Leilani, or its other names. The common soldiers knew her as the 'Asset', the servants called her 'My Lady'. It was too confusing. Just like the mission.

"I can sense your doubt, young one. You know not to disobey me. After all," he began, "I _am_ the one with the medication to heal your ailing relative. That old fool just won't sit down," he jested, although he did not care for the wellbeing of the elderly being. The soldier clenched its fists. The handler carried on, not noticing the Asset's slight anger.

"I want a confirmed death of at least one of the Royals in one hundred and twenty hours. You will report the mission back after it has been completed. Am I clear?"

"No. _"_

The handler paused. "Care to repeat that?"

"I. Said. _No,"_ the Asset replied, her voice just over a whisper. Her voice was weak and hoarse, dry from disuse.

Because it was difficult to spot the being with the human eye, none of the soldiers had known how fast their leader head rose from his chair, flew across the room, grabbing the soldier by the neck.

"Listen very carefully, _child_ _,"_ the furious leader hissed, his voice dripping with venom. " _I_ was the one who gave you a life after Cell. _I_ was the one taught you _everything_ you know." His grip on the child's neck tightened as did the soldier's pleas for air.

"I gave you a new identity. A new name."

"But... I can't..."

If you refuse, I'll take your relative off the support," he snapped, tossing the Asset like a rag-doll onto the floor.

"You will complete this mission regardless of your views," he charged. "Apologise now, and I might give you another chance instead of killing you."

"I-I'm sorry," the child croaked, curling up into a ball, silent tears fell from its eyes- showing emotions would cost a lot on the battlefield _and_ in front of handlers. There was no way the Asset would be forgiven for that.

The handler scoffed at the soldier's vulnerable position. "I'm sorry, _what?"_ He probed further.

"I'm sorry, Lord Guizha."

"Better." Lord Guizha, still holding the apple, frowned at the ball, an image of the Princess and her son smiling at each other. "I want the royal family to die for their mistakes of what they did to my people. And that parasite," he scowled, pointing at Chichi's features, must pay the price."

The rosy red apple crushed between his fingers.


	3. Relaxation

"You should've seen the look on her face!" Chichi wheezed, holding onto her cousin's shoulder for balance. "I just asked her for a Mocha Breve and she almost fainted!"  
"Her eyes popped out of her head, I swear," Bradley joked along with his cousin, chuckling so hard that the Affogato coffee he held sloshed over his fingers. "I can't breathe, I can't, it's too funny."

Bradley had decided that Chichi needed to loosen up and relieve her stress after Goku's death and have calm nerves for the battle. It seemed to be working, because when Bradley started to cough and wheeze, turning his face crimson red, Chichi released a huge guffaw that made a few people stop and stare at the duo.

"Stop laughing," Bradley giggled, "There are people looking at us!"

"I'm-trying," Chichi panted, leaning onto a nearby bench for support, only to snort with laughter again.

"You are hopeless. We need to get you back to the palace, or your stomach will suffer." He chuckled at Chichi's antics. The woman slung her arm around Bradley's neck, dragging the duke down. Bradley slipped his arm across Chichi's back to steady them, and they tottered down the street. Chichi couldn't stop giggling.

"Don't drop your drink." Bradley warned.

"You poured some on my shirt!" The Princess had traded her purple dress for a simple pair of black denim jeans, purple converse shoes and a checkered purple blouse. Her usual hair bun was let loose; locks of raven hair tumbled down her shoulders.

"Well, you _did_ grab my shoulder when you were laughing."

"It's not my fault the lady looked like she saw a ghost!"

"Well, it's not everyday you see the future Queen of Earth going to Starbucks and wearing converse shoes," Bradley replied as he took a sip of his coffee. "I'm glad these clothes fit you. Shanumi thought of you while we were shopping, and she urged me to buy something for you. It's too bad she's on duty so she can't hang out with us."

"It must be hectic having a policewoman as a wife," Chichi stated.

"Hectic is an understatement. It's chaos," the royal joked. "One time Emmanuel spilt his milk bottle all over the back seat of our car. Shanumi had spent ages cleaning it , and then my stupid ass decides to bring a plastic box of Tikka Masala into the car." He rolled his eyes at his mistake. "My foot slipped while entering the car, and the Masala went flying everywhere, on me, the windscreen, everything."

"I guess she punished you badly then?

"Yep, I had to clean the Masala myself. And I repainted the garage door. And to top that all off, no sex _or_ training for a month," he complained.

The younger royal chuckled again. "You probably deserved that."

"Hey, you're supposed to be on my side!"

"No, I don't have to!" she replied, sticking her tongue out. "She did the right thing. I would doubt fighting her." The duo continued to walk through the city until they ended up in a public park.

"Speaking of fighting, are you ready for the battle?" The older royal inquired. At some point, he knew he would have to come back to that topic, so he had no choice but to push his questions further.

There was silence as Chichi sipped her coffee. Her eyebrows creased in serious thought. There was a possibility she would be just fine, as her demon form was powerful. She had increased the amount of training she did over the months, sparring with her sons and learning about Ki. But for the heir, it still wasn't enough.  
Chichi hadn't used her demon form since Gohan's birth, except when that blue-haired bimbo insulted her. She had semi-powered up to pound the vixen into the ground. She scowled as she thought of the woman.

"Uh, Chichi?" Her cousin waved a hand near her face. "Hello? Earth to Princess?"

Chichi snapped out of her trance and blocked out the memory of Marron. She rubbed the back of her head in apology. "Ha, I'm sorry. I didn't realise I spaced out."

"You didn't answer my question, kid."

"I'm _not_ a kid!" The widow snapped, causing Bradley to flinch, visibly hurt by her chosen tone of voice. He fixed his eyes onto the ground, not daring to look up into the blazing eyes of his younger relative.

Chichi studied the duke's crestfallen expression, instantly regretting her rude outburst. She didn't mean to upset him at all. She knew she had to make him feel better before he took it to heart.

"Sorry, Bradley," she lamented. "I- I'm just afraid." The demon hybrid wrapped her arms around herself. "I'm constantly battling with myself to resign and carry on with my life as usual. I don't know whether I should give up. I don't want to endanger or scare people. I can't-'

"You better _not_ give up,' Bradley interrupted sharply. "I know you're better than that."

"..."

"I brought you out here to relax and have fun, not get stressed. You've been avoiding Uncle Daniel for a while. It's not nice to ignore your own father."

"I know. I guess, I feel a lot more nervous now that Goku's not here."

Bradley didn't mind his cousin-in-law at times, but he hated the fact that the Saiyan made her uneasy at his absence. _No husband should do that to his wife,_ he thought. _Or vice-versa. If Shanumi left me, ...I'd break._

The older cousin brought his shaking relative into his embrace, thinking about their lovers and their moments spent with them. _Both_ of them loved people who would sacrifice their lives for the greater good of humanity. One, a policewoman-former Omoredian Princess who gave up her lavish lifestyle to protect her family and friends. The second, a Saiyan-born Earthling fighting for the freedom and safety of others.

Goku and Shanumi were very much alike.

"I don't want to see you cry," Bradley's soft voice sounding like a melody in Chichi's ears. "This isn't the little girl I grew up with."

"But... What will I do without Goku?" The Princess replied, a single tear rolling down her cheek.

"Survive. It's the best thing humanity can do in this day and age," he replied, brushing the stray tear away. "Besides, you have Gohan and Goten.  
Those boys look up to you, Chichi. So do Emmanuel and Lola, as well as many other children around the planet. Don't forget who you are. You've got family and friends with you every step of the way."

The widow lost all sign of doubt and smiled gratefully at her cousin."You have no idea how happy I am to hear that, Brad. Thank you."

The cousins playfully argued all the way home.

* * *

"The radius equals half of the diameter... and... done." Gohan placed his pencil onto the table, finished with his studying for the day.

About two hours after the spar with Chichi, a servant came to Gohan's private suite to inform him that his new royal attire was ready for him. The Prince jumped up from his spot on the sofa and asked for the suit to be brought to him quickly. He could hardly wait to try it on.

About twenty minutes later, Gohan stood in front of the mirror adjusting his outfit. As per his grandfather's orders, Gohan was to have a new set of formal wear.

The design was bold and stylish, with a black jumpsuit, white boots and gloves, and a navy blue short-sleeved tunic outlined with imperial yellow, ending just over his thighs. The Mao family royal seal, imprinted in red, proudly marked the left side of the tunic. A red cape with the same yellow outline and a small silver crown completed the look.

The hybrid adjusted the crown on his head as a knock was heard on the door.

"Come in," he called.

Rebecca, Goten's nurse, poked her head through the door. She entered and bowed. "Your Highness," The purple-haired woman began respectfully, "His Majesty, your grandfather, has requested your presence in the dining hall for lunch."

"He did?" Gohan questioned eagerly. "What for?"

"I'm not sure, Your Highness. He said he wanted it to be a surprise."

The preteen's tail swayed in curiosity. "I'll be right down. Thank you, Miss." Gohan bowed respectfully back to the nurse, who bowed in return and left the room to continue with her duties.

Gohan had only been at his grandfather's for three days and he still couldn't get used to the fact that he had royal blood. He still tensed a little when people bowed to him, not being used to the respect. The food was amazing (but it still couldn't beat his mother's cooking), his uncle, aunt and cousins were fun to spend time with and his grandfather treated him extremely well.

The only thing Gohan still couldn't get over was how enormous the palace was. He had spent hours walking around the building, struck with awe and amazement at the scenery around him. He had opened up his life to a new series of adventure and discovery. This was only the beginning.

His cheek suddenly smarted with pain, causing the royal to wince. He walked into his bathroom, which was around the size of a classroom, and turned on the water, removed his gloves and started to wash his face. The best thing about being royalty was that he had access to the best medical care on the planet, meaning the cut on his face would get healed in no time.

He quickly wiped his face with a towel and briskly got out of the room. He had to go the medical cabinet, treat the wound and go eat lunch with his grandfather. He was excited about this, since it was his grandfather who requested it. He wondered if he had something important to tell him.

Gohan walked through the golden palace halls, greeting the butlers and maids that walked past. He smiled, as he felt great that day.

* * *

"His Imperial Highness, Prince Gohan," the vizier announced and stepped aside to let Gohan to enter the great dining hall.

At the end of the long table that was placed in the middle of the room, sat the Ox King, with two other muscular males sat on either side of him. The man on the Ox King's right had blazing orange hair, green eyes, and a beard similar to his grandfather's. He wore the exact same trousers as the King, except his shirt was blue instead of white. He held a cheerful expression on his face.  
The man on the King's left was much more different to the other man. His skin, instead of a bronze colour, was red; his hair as black as a raven. Small red horns curles atop his head. Icy blue eyes peered from under his spiky locks. His expression reminded Gohan very much of Vegeta.

The Ox King looked up from his meal and caught sight of the young Prince. "Gohan!" he greeted, with his usual bellow. "Come in, come in. We were just about to start eating without you."

Gohan, surprised at the new arrivals, meekly walked over to the table and sat near the trio. "H-how do I look?'

"Like a Prince, my boy," the ginger-haired man announced cheerfully, holding out his hand for Gohan to shake. "I'm Aku. Aku Mao Jr." Gohan greeted him back, shaking his hand. "Bradley, who you met earlier, is my son. Your grandfather here is my rowdy little brother."

"Daniel's the youngest out of all of us, actually," the red-skinned man spoke, referring to the Ox King. This man's voice was low, rumbly, almost smooth like velvet. His voice sounded calming despite his serious appearance.

"Nathan at your service," he said, shaking Gohan's hand. "Daniel's told us so much about you."

"What did you tell them, Grandpa?" The boy asked happily, munching on the huge plate of cheese ravioli covered with tomato sauce.

"Oh, mainly about how strong and smart you are," the Ox King replied, cutting his knife into the roast beef. "You make me proud be a grandfather."

"I wish I had a grandchild like Gohan," Nathan remarked, eating with grace and manners unlike his childish younger brothers. "He seems to be quite well behaved, unlike _some_ people."

"This is coming from the man who has no wife _or_ children," Aku mocked, a wide grin plastered on his face, Daniel following suit. "When we were young, Gohan, we always got Nathan into trouble."

"Stop it."

"Stop what, Nathan?" Aku asked, the grin still on his face.

"Stop looking at me like that."

"I don't know what you mean, Nathan," the Ox King joined in.

"Exactly my point." Nathan facepalmed at the two brothers. They looked like twins despite their hair colouring and their three year difference. The mischievous grins on their faces irked the oldest royal terribly.

"It's like having two babies for brothers. One runs an empire _and_ is a father. The other is a father too and the founder of four charities and hospitals, and they _still_ can't act their age," he mumbled to himself.

"What's it like having two younger brothers now and when they were babies?" Gohan inquired, his mind full of curiosity and a spark of humor.

"Mostly the same."

* * *

Bulma waltzed around the living quarters of Capsule Corporation. She was in a better mood than usual. She had completed the glasses and contact lenses for the blutz waves and finished all official reports and meetings. She was finally free for the weekend to plan what to wear for the battle and the coronation.

She rummaged through her huge walk-in-wardrobe, throwing out dresses she didn't like. "Nope, nope, _nope,_ no... Ooh, _this_ looks nice... Wait, changed my mind, nope, nope..." She muttered. The bluenette harrumphed, sinking onto the mountain of clothing. "What am I going to wear?" She groaned, pouting and crossing her arms like a small child.

Her eyes suddenly latched onto her two-year-old son, Trunks, dangling by his tail off the curtain pole, giggling.

The billionaire gasped in surprise at her son. "Trunks!" She squealed, dashing up to the window, cradling her son in her arms. "You should be more careful."

"Onna, the brat is two. Stop coddling him."

Bulma turned to examine the voice. The man wore a blue jumpsuit, followed with white armour, boots and gloves. A brown, furry tail snaked around his waist. Raven coloured hair, standing proudly on his head, made the man seem a little taller than he actually was. The man's features held a cold and cruel look,eyebrows furrowed. He scowled at the CEO.

"Vegeta, put a sock in it. I can't help but worry about him sometimes." She placed Trunks down on the bed, his cerulean eyed fixed onto his father. His violet-coloured appendage swayed innocently behind him.

The Prince crossed his arms, his gaze leaving Bulma and examining the room in disgust. "This room is a mess. What are you doing in here, woman?"

"You can call me Bulma. I'm looking for some clothes."

"You have emptied the quantity of your wardrobe onto the floor so I don't-"

"I am looking for some _good_ clothes to wear for a special occasion," she hissed at the Saiyan. "A very special one."

Vegeta's ears perked with interest, although he tried to look as if he wasn't. "Oh, and what might that be?" He sneered. "Another of your pathetic meetings?"

"No, much better than _that,_ " she smirked, noticing Vegeta's sudden interest. "But I'm not telling _you,_ mister," she huffed, knowing he would ask.

"Woman, I'm not leaving till you tell me what-"

"I _said_ you can call me _Bulma,"_ she corrected, then blinked. "In fact, you can call me _Miss_ Bulma."

Vegeta stuttered in confusion, failing to conjure up a comeback. "Miss Bulma, please tell me what you're destroying your chamber for," he muttered, gritting his teeth.

"That wasn't so hard, _was_ it?" Bulma mocked, cheering in her head over her victory. "Alright, I'll spill. Chichi's going to become Queen."

"Wh- _What?"_ The Prince's face dropped in disbelief. His heart sank into his stomach. "K-Kakarot's harpy... A Princess? Kakarot's b-brats... Royalty?"

"Yep, it's next Sunday. You should come," the CEO suggested, struggling not to laugh. "I even started to make a new model on Saiyan armour for you, since I know you won't wear a suit."

Vegeta could not answer her, for his mind was stunned with the sudden news. He felt his pride shatter into a million pieces. He had been completely outclassed- the only thing that kept him superior to Goku and his family could be outmatched no longer.

Goku was royalty.

And so were his brats.

"All thanks to the harpy..." He mumbled and did the only thing he could think of.

He fainted.

* * *

Several miles away in the facility hidden away in the mountains, a girl trained.

She trained for a mission that would determine her future as a person, a rightful human being.

So she could go back home.

The Asset threw invisible punches and kicks at her invisible opponent. Green ki blasts escaped from her fingertips. Sweat poured down her face. Her hair plastered to her forehead. She dreaded the coming day; she didn't want to carry out the mission, but her handler simply wouldn't allow it. Her muscles and joints ached, but she knew she couldn't stop now.

Not when she could protect the only surviving member of her family.

He protected her first. Now it was her turn.

The Asset threw a Ki blast at the picture of Cell hanging above the wall, her skin fading back from red to peach. She watched as the picture melted and crumbled as the green flames licked at the remains.

The Asset picked up her helmet and fastened it to her head.

She was ready.


	4. Confrontation

"However, we should validate whether the Princess' son-or sons- are legitimate for the throne or not."

"I see your point, Lord Sampa, but they already have titles and claims to the throne. They have done since birth. It's up to the Emperor to decide who succeeds him."

"I just want to add, can Princes Gohan and Goten be eligible for the throne through female royalty?"

"Only His Majesty decides that. Anyway, back to the matter at hand..."

The Ox King sighed and slouched a little further in his makeshift throne. He'd been at this meeting for what felt like eons and still the court officials had not decided what to discuss. A group of his lords had emailed him, urging him to attend the meeting and not one of them had asked him a single question.  
It didn't help either that they were discussing about his family as if he wasn't in the room at all. At that moment, he didn't feel like his role meant anything anymore. Instead of a King, a puppet was sitting in golden and regal chairs and wearing a crown. A good reason why he should step down and let Chichi take over.

 _They're treating my daughter and grandsons like puppets too,_ he thought. _Now that I will not take._

His irritation grew as he spotted one of the Lords with earphones plugged in. His eye twitched in annoyance. An hour of his time had been wasted.  
On either side of the 'Emperor' sat his elder brothers. Aku couldn't help but notice his younger sibling's unusual tense posture, clenched fists and a sweating forehead.

"Are you alright, Danny?" The Ox King twitched at his childhood nickname and turned to his brother. He forced a smile onto his face and began to readjust his wristbands.

"I'm fine," he lied.

The ginger prince frowned. He could see through the false statement like glass. Aku could see that his brother despised the long meetings whiling away the minutes and something was bothering him greatly.

"Thinking of Ju-Long, huh?"

The Ox King's silence told Aku that his guess was true. The Queen's death had affected the monarch greatly. He had felt despair in the past without his queen and wife, but a sparkle had been left in Chichi's wake. The King saw so much of Ju-Long in his daughter that it would be hard to spot any differences save for their appearances. Both women had wild and independent characteristics and a strong sense of confidence and leadership. Unfortunately, both women could scare the living daylights out of people when they were angry: Another trait Chichi shared with Ju-Long.

No wonder he felt nervous for the battle.

The Ox King rubbed his temple. "I think I've got a headache, Aku," he groaned. "I don't feel right."

"Then you should rest, Daniel," Nathan interrupted, coming to life from the King's right, concern lingering in his almost velvet-like voice. "There's no need to strain your mind."

"Exactly. If you don't want to sleep, take some tablets," Aku added. 'Or paracetamol, if you really feel down in the dumps." The prince proceeded to rub his sibling's back, to which the King brushed off.

"I'm not a child, Aku. I can take care of myself," he grumbled.

Aku blinked, holding up his hands in defense. "Hey, I was only trying to help. Don't get worked up."

The lords finally stopped talking and noticed the tension growing ever so slightly in the room.

One lord spoke from the long table below the high seats. "Are you alright, your Majesty?"

"Yes, yes, I'm fine." The Ox King waved away the Lord's concern, turning towards the nearest maid. "Cheng, bring a glass of water and some tablets please."  
The nurse replied with a meek 'Of course, Your Majesty' and scurried off out of the courtroom.

The Mao brothers and the court officials continued to discuss topics for a few more minutes until it was time for lunch to start. Daniel was about to call off the meeting when the golden double-doors burst open.  
Chichi, followed by Bradley and his wife Shanumi, strode into the room as the sound of scraping chairs and rising figures echoed around the grand hall.

"Their Imperial Highnesses, Princess Chirakayna, Prince Bradley and Princess Abisade Shanumi have joined us-"

Chichi held up a hand to silence the vizier, who was left staring bewildered at the trio. Neither of the young royals looked amused, especially the wife of Goku.

The Princess, still wearing her casual outfit, drew to her full height, her back straightened, regal and powerful like the royal she was. The heir to the throne marched over to the long table with lords seated around it, leading down to the three brothers on their thrones. She did not look happy. The denied announcement was a sign that no nonsense was tolerated.

She slammed her hands onto the table, causing many lords to jump.

"I demand to know what the problem is," she spoke, her eyes boring into every one of the Lords'.

One of them was brave enough to speak up. "W-what do you mean, Your H-Highness?" He gulped.

"You know _very_ well what I mean, Lord Fai. _Speak. Up."_

As far as the Ox King knew, Chichi had never shown an interest in politics as a young child, although her studies and lessons on the subjects were always first class, so he was surprised to see her willingly enter the court, followed by Bradley and Shanumi no less. He, and the rest of the court, knew they had to tread lightly as the heir could explode with anger at any moment.

The Princess' eyebrows furrowed. "I demand to know why you think my Gohan and Goten aren't eligible for the throne."

Lord Fai was lost for words. "Well...I... I simply-"

" I heard everything. They are both healthy boys. Gohan is extremely intelligent for his age, and I'm sure Goten will follow in his footsteps. They are strong and keep has a big interest in astronomy and history, which links him to his heritage."

"I-We-"

"Gohan's even the one who brought up the idea of returning here."

"Y-Your Highness, i-if I may-"

"I don't know how much you want from me," Chichi snapped. "First you bombard me with emails, _begging_ me to come back, using my father to guilt ride me into this mess."

"Chichi-" the Ox King interrupted. He noticed her eyes switching between black and green. Her emotions were spiraling out of control. "Please, listen-"

Then when we _do_ come, you don't want my children to rule after me, should they wish to?" Chichi spat. "It's ridiculous! _Pathetic!_ " The force and pressure from Chichi's strength created a small crack in the table.

" _Miss-"_ Lord Fai desperately tried again, trying to get a word in. " _Please_ can I speak-"

" _Sit_ down and _shut up!"_

The man sat down faster than the speed of light.

Bradley decided to intervene, placing a hand on his cousin's shoulder. He whispered a few kind words to the Princess and she immediately relaxed, the green hue gone.

"My children are as every bit as legitimate as Lola and Emmanuel are," she stated in a calmer voice, regaining her royal characteristics.

"That's right," Shanumi called out. "And I'd like to know why you're even in the room. Some of you don't even talk, like this guy over here," she remarked, walking over to the man with earphones and yanking them out of his ears.

Another Lord rose from his seat. "You shouldn't treat a government official like that," he sneered. What a fine display of etiquette. Clearly you Omoredian people know nothing about manners."

The entire room was silent as the rather offensive remark was uttered. The dark-skinned beauty could only stare in shock and disbelief.

Bradley _, and_ Chichi, were seething with rage. The older cousin finally spoke.

"You better watch how you speak to my wife, Lord Guiton," he hissed.

Lord Guiton just stared at the royal. "But sire, it is the truth. Despite the tension between our two kingdoms-"

"The tension doesn't _exist_ anymore-"

"Give me a turn to _speak,"_ he snapped. "Despite the tension between the two kingdoms, the unease about the Oxanian-Omoredian civil war many years ago has lessened greatly." The lord paused to adjust his glasses. "Your union with a Princess of Omorede and the production of the royal twins who stand for two monarchies instead of one are the reasons that I think Prince Gohan is not legitimate enough for the throne."

Bradley pursed his lips. "I didn't marry Shanumi to steady some stupid war," he flared. "I married her out of love. Chichi did the same when she married Goku, so I don't know how you can put her sons in another column."

"I agree, honey," Shanumi added again. "The reason we're here is to help and protect others, not sit around and sip tea. Gohan and Goten are good boys. We can't understand what your problem is."

Lord Fai glared at the foreign Princess. "My point still stands," his voice raising. "Prince Gohan has only a half of royal blood and this-"

"ENOUGH!" The Ox King's voice suddenly boomed.

Not a single sound could be heard. Everyone was shocked that the King had shouted, since he was usually quiet.  
Chichi had never seen this side of her father before; it scared her. The temper about her lessened, and a small, timid woman was left behind.

"Father..." Chichi began, addressing her sire formerly. "I-I-"

"You will _not_ disrespect a member of court, _Chirakayna,"_ Daniel snapped. "The same goes for you, Bradley. Shanumi." The Ox King spoke to them not as a father or uncle, but as a King adressing his subjects.

The trio lowered their heads in shame, very much resembling a child who had been caught doing something wrong. Aku shook his head in disappointment. Nathan still hadn't spoken a word.

The irate monarch turned to the opposing Lord, glaring at him in turn. "Lord Guiton. I expect more from you. You _know_ the rules when showing respect to a member of the Imperial Family."

Lord Guiton began to stutter in response, only to be silenced with the wave of a bronze hand.

"You have served my family for well over forty years, and I trust you greatly. But I cannot tolerate insults targeted towards my family."

"A thousand apologies, Sire," the Lord replied, although he didn't sound sorry at all. His eyes downcast, bowing slightly towards the King.

"It's not me you should apologise to," the Ox King responded, gesturing towards the three royals. The lord murmured his apologies to each of them.

Finally free of stress, the Ox King clasped his hands together in a sense of finality. "Well, I guess that concludes today's... _meeting,"_ he strained. "You are all free for the rest of the week. The court is now dismissed."

The grand courtroom suddenly became filled with the sound of chairs scraping the floor and books snapping shut. The atmosphere returned as the lords' voices came to life, medium-loud murmurings and short conversations flying across the room.  
The Mao-Bankole couple turned to leave as well. Chichi saw and began to follow until the snapping of fingers awoke her from her dazed trance.

Her father was in no mood for games. "Chichi, stay behind. I need to talk with you."

The heir briefly hesitated, blinking in surprise. She gathered her confidence and shuffled over to her father, who was still staring down at her.

The King knelt before his daughter, his burly height still towering above her, placing his hands on his shoulders. He sighed again, looking at his daughter with apologetic eyes.

"Chichi," he began, "You haven't been talking to me for the past few days. What's up?"

Chichi couldn't answer the Ox King, her eyes anywhere but on his.

"Please talk to me, sweetheart."

"..."

"Chichi, please. What's bothering you?"

The widow sighed and poured her heart out to her father. She told him about the preparations for the battle, the coronation and her loneliness without Goku. The bottled-up emotions inside of her spilled out before the King. She began to sniffle.

"I told Bradley the same thing," she sobbed. "But I can't help worrying. What if I embarrass you- and Gohan- and everyone in the family-"

"Your mother was proud of you," Daniel blurted out.

Chichi's eyes widened. "Wh-What?"

"She wouldn't like to hear those words coming out of your mouth."

"She... Wouldn't?"

"Yes. Wherever she is, I know that she'd be proud to have a daughter like you. We are all proud of you and you know it," the king reassured, smiling at his daughter lovingly. You have the power within you. Unleash it!"

Chichi wiped her eyes and smiled gratefully at her father. Thanks, Dad. I really needed that talk."

The king nodded. "So did I," he agreed, pulling off his helmet to run his hands through his hair. "Gosh, I need to get back in shape," he chuckled, "Or I'll become fatter than I already am. Wanna spar?"

"Okay," the Princess replied, beaming, as the duo left the empty courtroom.

* * *

"Thanks for the spar, Piccolo!" Gohan exclaimed, collapsing onto the ground, clearly exhausted. "Gosh, that was an intense workout. You've never revealed all this power you had."

The Prince had been allowed a break from his studies by his mother. He thought to use the time to catch up with Piccolo and his other friends to fill them in on his experiences for the past few days.

"No, problem, kid. You've got promising powers," Piccolo smirked. "I guess I needed a spar too. Your father's gone, Vegeta hates my guts and your friends are too weak."

Gohan tried not to wince at his father's mentioning. He sat up and then blinked at the Namekian's last comment.  
"You're my friend too, Piccolo."

"If you'd never come into my life, Gohan, I doubt I would have anything to fight for." Piccolo crossed his arms, his cape billowing in the air. "I owe that to your father."

"You really think I'm worth fighting for?"

"Yeah, you and the planet. If not for your birth, I would have destroyed the Earth," he confessed, to which the preteen cocked his head in confusion.

"I never told you about my history, did I?"

The younger warrior shook his head.

"Well, I'll start from the beginning," he sighed. "My father was King Piccolo Sr of demons. He wanted to take over the planet."

Gohan nodded with interest, urging him to continue.

"Your dad, who was only fifteen at the time, couldn't stand the thought of the Earth in peril. So he battled my father until he lost. Goku blew a hole into my father's chest.  
My father, realising he was dying, decided to carry on his legacy and have someone to take over. Not only was I meant to kill Goku, but I was destined to become a King as well."

Gohan's jaw dropped in surprise. "You're a Prince too?"

"Please. It shouldn't _still_ be shocking," Piccolo complained. "There are so many royals in this Z Gang that only Krillin, Tien and Yamcha are singled out. Even Chiaotzu's an Emperor."

"Woah. Imagine if Vegeta finds out that we're royal." The hybrid's tail beat the ground in amusement. "He would have a fit, that's for sure!"

"The idiot wouldn't be able to handle the fact that intergalactic royals exist," he quipped. "These new royals are here to stay."

"And we're both demon Princes, as well as alien Princes!"

"Speaking of demon powers, well done on controlling the shift in your strength." Readjusting his turban, Piccolo moved into a meditating position, floating a few metres off the ground. "Being a child, I thought your body wouldn't be able to handle the strain. However, you've proved me otherwise."

Gohan smiled in gratitude, pulling at the tattered remains of his cape. "I don't know how I'm going to explain this to my Mum. This outfit was new," he lamented.

"I can fix that. "Clothes Beam!" The Namekian roared, as a beam of Ki surrounded the hybrid, engulfing him in light. An exact copy of the royal outfit replaced the previous disaster.

The Saiyan-Human Prince smoothed down his navy tunic. "Thanks, Piccolo. That was really helpful. Now I won't have to face my angry mother! Hah, there was this one time..."

Piccolo grunted and blocked out the nonsense told by his former student. He had to meditate in peace, but interrupting the boy would upset him. Besides, he probably could find interests in his human friends.

"Don't you have any friends your age?"

The twelve-year-old paused and stared at his teacher. "You're my age, Piccolo."

"You know what I mean."

"You're only four years older than me, at least in Earth years."

The Namekian did not respond.

"Alright, fine," the human pouted. "I don't have any friends my age. Apart from that year I was training to fight the Saiyans, I met a group of kids with no home when I washed up on the beach. These kids called Chico and Rom found me. Their leader was Pigero and they were awfully nice.  
At the time, they accepted me as their own and I truly felt like I had someone to play and talk to. We even stole fruits." He giggled.

Piccolo listened to Gohan tell his crusades with the orphan children. He had never known about this, so the information was surprising to him.

Gohan suddenly gasped. "Lime!" He slapped his forehead, clearly disappointed with his memory. "How could I forget? She's probably one of my closest friends! I haven't seen her in a year."

"Why don't you go and talk to her, then?" The Namekian inquired. "I have to meditate now. I'll talk to you some other time."

"Okay. Thanks Piccolo! You're the best! Goodbye!" the excited Prince cried, a white aura surrounding him as he blasted off into the clear blue skies.

Piccolo stared at the disappearing dot. He shook his head. "Kids."

* * *

Gohan flew for the next twenty minutes. At first there was nothing but water, but as he flew on, the rippling dark waves faded into brown, dusty roads, showing farmers and villagers and workers carrying out their daily duties.

The second heir paused at an arched sign, reading _Chazke Village._

Gohan was no stranger to villages, so he was surprised at the fact that it was deathly quiet. He couldn't wrap his head around the many questions plaguing his mind.

 _Why is this place deserted?_

 _Where did all the people go?_

 _Why can I hear myself breathe so loudly?_

 _Where is Lime?_

The Prince landed before the gateway, in pure shock of the lack of life.  
He began to walk slowly through the village, his head turning left and right to examine the emptied houses. Doors swung on their shattered. Tumbleweed occasionally blowing across the ground.

"Where is everybody?" Gohan asked to nobody in particular. His raven eyebrows furrowed.

"When Dad and I left this place, people still lived here. Was there some sort of threat that forced them to move away?  
Cell was destroyed. So there's no way they could have run from him."

The boy continued to murmur to himself. He wasn't paying attention to where he was going, so when he crashed into another being and toppled over, he almost shrieked.

The smaller, stout man groaned as he sat up, the hybrid following suit. "Gosh, I need to get glasses..." he breathed.

Gohan started to splutter apologies to the middle-aged man. "I-I'm so sorry, sir," he stammered. "I didn't see where I was going. How can I make it up to you?"

"Well, you can start by pulling me up, kiddo."

"Oh-ah, sorry." The man held out a hand for Gohan to hold. The Saiyan gripped the man's hand, pulling him to stand.

"Wow, you've got quite a grip there, kid," the man stated happily, although his wrist throbbed with pain. "I'm surprised my hand hasn't fallen off."

The hybrid scratched the back of his head. "I get my strength from both my parents."

The man smiled. "Hey, don't I recognise you from somewhere?" He looked up, clicking his fingers as if remembering something. His eyes lit up in realisation. "Oh! You're that Prince, right?"

Gohan suddenly wished he had his purple gi on instead of his royal attire. "Yes Sir, I am."

"Princess Chirakayna and Son Goku's son?"

"Yup."

"That explains it. You've been all over the news lately, what with the Princess' return to the monarchy. We all thought Bradley would take over. He's a nice lad.  
Anyway, I'm Cheng. Hui Cheng. Former advisor of His Majesty, your grandfather," he announced, holding his hand out to shake.

"You knew my grandfather?" Gohan asked, shaking Cheng's hand.

"Oh yes. When we weren't working, we had great fun together. I'm just a regular old farmer now. Anyway, why have you dropped by?"

"I was looking for one of my friends. I thought she was here," the boy sighed, kicking the ground with his boot.

"What was her name?" Cheng inquired. "I might know her."

"Lime. Lime Lao. Her grandfather owned a shop here."

"Lime! That little terror. Always causing trouble. No, she doesn't live around here anymore. Or her grandfather."

The preteen was crestfallen.

"Cheer up, kiddo. She's not the only one who moved," Cheng reassured, placing a hand on Gohan's shoulder. "Lots of people couldn't live with the memories of Cell lingering around this village, so they moved away. The only ones left are me and two other families down the street. You can check Taipei Village, lots of people moved there."

"Thank you for your help, Lord Cheng." Gohan bowed to the farmer, who followed suite. "I'll let my grandfather know I saw you!"

"No problem. Tell him we should meet sometime!" Cheng called, waving to the Prince as he entered the skies once again.

* * *

Bradley and Shanumi, hands intertwined, strolled through the grand palace halls, examining the numerous portraits and photographs. The Duke pointed at a painting he didn't like, muttering a comment in the Duchess' ear, who laughed in a reply.

"Come on, it's not _that_ hideous, Brad," Shanumi giggled. "Cheer up, okay?"

"I'll try. I just can't stop thinking of what that low-life said to you," the father-of-two snarled. "Are _you_ okay?"

"For the last time, Bradley, I'm fine," the dark-skinned woman replied. "I've forgiven him already. Maybe he was upset about something before the meeting."

"Maybe, but he still shouldn't have taken his anger out on you. Or Chichi. I hope she's alright."

"So do I. Text her."

"Alright," Bradley announced, whipping out his phone from his pocket. He quickly typed a message to his cousin, pressing send.

 ** _Mimi & I are worried. U ok?_**

 ** _-Brad_**

"Chichi's a strong woman," Shanumi said suddenly, leaning on the windowsill of a nearby window. "You should be proud of her."

"You have no idea how much, 'Mimi," Bradley replied. "When she's near you, you just feel...safe, and warm," he confessed. "It's like when I'm around you."

The Omoredian Princess pushed his arm playfully. "Look at you, you charmer," she quipped.

"I have to be."

"Chichi's lucky to have you as a cousin," Shanumi whispered, snaking her arms around her husband's waist. "I kinda wish she had an easier life, though. Having an alien husband and children isn't easy."

"Hey, I'm three quarters human," Bradley pouted.

"And that single demon quarter is screaming at me to unleash it," she retorted.

The prince smirked. "Unleash?" He mocked, raising an eyebrow. "Mrs Mao-Bankole, what are you planning?"

"I'll never tell," the Princess winked, moving her arms to Bradley's neck. "Let's take Chichi and Gohan shopping tomorrow. They need a break from all this catastrophe. Then they can stay at ours and I'll cook your favourite."

"That sounds delicious." They paused for a kiss. Bradley pulled his wife closer to him, one hand cradling the back of her head. Their intimacy was interrupted by the buzzing of Bradley's phone. The couple broke apart, needing oxygen. Bradley read the message received from his cousin.

 ** _I'm fine. Going 2 spar with dad. I'll meet you both in the ballroom at 5pm. Then we'll go out for a drink. See u later. Xx_**

 ** _-Chichi_**

The duke showed the text to his wife and then proceeded to text back.

 ** _K. Be careful x_**

 ** _-Brad_**

"Come on, let's go and check on the twins and Goten, then pick up where we left off. We've got four hours," Bradley winked, grabbing the policewoman's hand. They raced down the hallway.

 ** _Don't cause trouble 4 once!_**

 ** _-Chichi_**

* * *

Lord Guiton walked down the hallways of the royal palace, grumbling to himself quietly. Stuffing his hands in his pockets, he glared at the maids and butlers that darted past him and scowled at the many portraits staring down at him. He pushed past all the other officials, who where gossiping about him, of course.

The Lord wasn't happy. First he had been humiliated in public, simply for expressing his opinion. Then he was forced to apologise for it, in front of all the other Lords and Ladies and the royals. It was embarrassing. Mortifying. Ridiculous.

Guiton had served the royal family for forty years. _Forty_ was a long time. He had seen two monarchs in his lifetime. Hell, he had known the Ox King since he was a little toddler, hiding behind his mother's legs! That _same_ toddler from all those years ago stood before him and everyone, mocking him. Laughing at him. He still couldn't forget the Ox King's father, King Damorus. He growled at the demon King's name. Damorus was even worse than his sons. Always rejecting his comments and snapping at him. He didn't get the respect he deserved.

The Lord stopped at an old painting of the imperial family. King Damorus, in his kingly robes, stood on the palace balcony with his wife, Queen Nadia and their three children. The three brothers were much younger in the picture. The simple painting brought back a memory.

 _Twenty-year-old Guiton, the newest member of the court, sat in a regal-looking chair just below the steps to the throne of the King and his firstborn son. The younger Princes, Aku and Daniel, sat on the steps, side by side. The Lords and Ladies were in a tough debate of who would succeed the King after his death-or abdication, should it ever come up._ _Shouting and yelling flew across the room of the great hall as the gathering of people tried their best to make their voices heard._

 _"Your views are unacceptable! We do not approve of this!" shouted one Lord._

 _"This is directly insulting the King! Watch your words, idiot!" screamed another._

 _Guiton couldn't handle the insolence in the room any longer. He stood up from the chair, clearing his throat. The shouting immediately ceased to nothing, all eyes on him._

 _Clearing his throat again, he began to speak. " I say that we let the_ _King_ _make the decisions. After all, he is the one in control. There is no need to shout and bicker like children. Even Prince Daniel," gesturing towards the young royal, "Is more behaved than you at the moment." The Lords and Ladies looked on in shame._

 _"I agree, Lord Guiton," small voice rang from behind him. Everyone in the room turned their heads towards Nathan, the Crown Prince. The heir wore a colbalt green tunic, accompanied with a black jumpsuit, black boots and gloves. The look was finished with a golden crown and a red cape with fur on the shoulders._

 _The eleven-year-old Prince crossed his arms. "My family and I have discussed the matter at hand. We have come to a decision that we hope you will agree with," he smiled. "Prince Daniel, my younger brother, has shown the potential in court and listens to all the comments you have to say. He takes pride in his work during his lessons and studies. He has a great knowledge in politics and martial arts._

 _Now, as I have made clear to you before, I find my royal tasks to be a burden. I wish to expand my horizon in learning and visit new places. I wish to help the poor, the sick and people who just don't know their way in life. In two years I will be joining the West City Boarding School for Boys and Girls, so obviously I won't attend court as much and I won't be home for a long while._

 _I, Prince Nathan the First of the Oxanian Kingdom and Empire, officially denounce my title as heir and Crown Prince and I hereby pass the royal authority directly to that kid over there," pointing over his shoulder to Daniel, who was dancing triumphantly with Aku._

 _"I'm going to be Ki-ing! I'm going to be Ki-ing!" he chorused happily, dancing the Running Man._

 _The entire courtroom was silent and then the shocked and furious cries of the officials erupted again. Nathan dropped his crown onto the velvet carpet and turned on his heel, his cape whooshing dramatically in the air, and walked out of the great hall, a giant smirk on his face. "Sorry, but I just wasn't cut out to be King!"_

 _Guiton, still standing up, stared after the former Crown Prince in disbelief. His widened eyes left the disappearing figure and rested on the new Crown Prince cheering beside him. He was in total shock of what happened. A few moments ago, a royal was speaking to them all in a confident voice. In his place, a commoner walked out of the room, almost mocking the officials._

 _"What in the HFIL just happened?" he whispered to himself, wiping sweat off his forehead with a handkerchief._

 _"Language," the five-year-old Crown Prince giggled._

 _"ENOUGH!"_ _The_ _King roared, rising from his seat in anger. The officials immediately shut up again, scared beyond belief. This was the last straw for the monarch._

 _"I will NOT tolerate behaviour like this in my court. My eldest son has made his decision and you must accept it, whether you like it or not. My youngest is more than qualified to rule. You should follow Lord Guiton's example and behave!"_

 _"If I may speak, Sire," Lord Fai, voiced timidly, attracting the King's attention. Damorus sat back down on his throne, his sons climbing onto his lap. His arms held them almost protectively._

 _The King relaxed into his throne. "Go on."_

 _"I think we can't trust the words of the newcomer just yet," he announced, fixing his glasses. "He was right in suggesting that we leave the decisions to you, but we are members of the council. We are here to assist you." Fai locked eyes with Guiton during the last sentence, who snarled at him in return._

 _"You may be right, Lord Fai. But young Guiton shows potential." Damorus rubbed his chin with two fingers in thought. "However, he is young and needs more experience. Guiton, you are dismissed from the Imperial Court for six months. In that time, try and find your way until you settle in."_

 _Guiton was shocked for words. "But...Your Majesty...I-"_

 _Damorus held up a hand to silence him. "I have made up my mind."_

 _The twenty-year-old frowned. "I stood up for your son just now! How could you reject me like that?"_

 _"My view does not change. Please leave, before I lose my temper again."_

 _Guiton knew he could argue no further. Pursing his lips, he turned away from the king to gaze at a proud and smug-looking Fai, grinning with all the other officials. Now it was him that looked like the idiot now. He glared at Fai, turned on his heel and stalked away, the lingering snickers and laughs following him._

 _"Mr Fai, that was pretty mean," Daniel finally spoke up. The new Crown Prince clambered off his father's lap, gaining a grand posture for a small boy his age. He stared up into the eyes of the Lord, not fazed by his intimidating gaze. "Don't you pity him?"_

 _"Pity? Good riddance, I say," one Lady scoffed. "He's no more than a spoilt little boy."_

 _"But he was a nice man. He stood up for Nathan," he argued back. "He didn't do anything wrong. So why did you persuade daddy to send him away?"_

 _"You'll understand soon enough, little Prince. He needs to be tamed, that's all," another stated._

 _"He said the_ _right_ _thing," Daniel shouted, stamping his little foot for emphasis, which shook the building. "And_ _I_ _say he's innocent-"_

 _"Daniel, calm yourself," the King interrupted sternly, placing a large red hand on the boy's shoulder. "He'll return in six months, and in that time, he'll be a worthy advisor. He is young, with not enough experience of the world," he continued, his voice much calmer. "Lord Fai was right."_

 _But Daniel couldn't believe Lord Fai. Fai could be a trickster for all he knew. He saw how the Lord almost goaded his father into agreeing with him. He was no fool._  
 _The little five-year-old's mind was beginning to develop rapidly. He picked up the crown previously dropped by his brother and fastened it to his head, just between his growing horns._

 _"This is my first order as Crown Prince," the child boldly stated. "From now on, if any Lord is disrespectful to a royal or another Lord, they will be dismissed from court permanently." The royal darted out of the courtroom, leaving his father, brother and officials staring after him too, as if he had dropped the title like Nathan did._

 _The angry little Prince turned round the corner and stopped at the sight of Guiton rubbing his eyes. The Lord did not notice his presence until he cleared his throat, making him jump._

 _"Oh-uh, Your Highness," he said, bowing towards Daniel, who did the same. The royal smiled, and shivered a little. The halls were colder than usual. He pulled his crimson cape around him._

 _"Did you hear the rest after you walked out?"_

 _"I did, yes. Thank you, Your Highness." Guiton slid down the walls, coming to rest upon the floor, his back against the wall. His head tipped back, sighing in frustration. The Crown Prince sat cross legged next to him._

 _"All I ever wanted was to be part of something, to help people," uttered, his voice barely above a whisper. "To reinvent myself after the war." Daniel dipped his head in confusion._

 _"Your father never told you?"_

 _The boy shook his head in reply._

 _Guiton laughed bitterly. "Of course he wouldn't. Self absorbed bastard."_

 _Daniel flinched at the comment, his ears not used to hearing such crude words._

 _"The war was between the Oxanian Empire and the Insang Empire. I'm Insangian, that's why I look so pale. This was about ten years before you were born. Damorus wanted to trade his gold for a portion of the rich lands owned by the Insangian Empress Yania. She refused, as she needed the land for her people to grow food. Your father was angry, so he invaded Insang, ordering the deaths of millions of innocent people. I was only nine when it happened. My father was thrown into prison, my mother and sister were killed. All my friends suffered and died under your father's hands." the young man clenched his fists in anger._

 _Daniel placed a hand on Guiton's arm in sympathy. "How could my daddy do such a thing?"_

 _"I don't know," Guiton replied. "So I changed my name. I was from the family of Guizha. I couldn't live with the loss of my family so I had to create a new identity. I lived on my own, living on scraps for as long as I could," he sighed. "Eventually an Oxanian family took me in and cared for me as their own. I owe them my life to this day."_

 _Guiton-or Guizha- continued to tell the young Prince about his ruined life. They talked for half an hour more until it was time for Daniel to go to bed._ _The little Prince stood from his seat and voiced his thanks. He began to leave._

 _"Your Highness, can you promise me something?"_

 _Daniel stopped in his tracks. "Yes?"_

 _"When you become King," Guizha began, "Will you promise to not become like your father? To stand for something good? Please, I can't go through this torture again," he pleaded._

 _The Crown Prince nodded triumphantly. "I promise!"_

 _"Good," Guizha smiled sadly at the boy. "I trust you." He blinked in surprise when he felt a small body clinged to him-he realised the royal was giving him a hug._

 _"I trust you too, Mr Guizha, the boy whispered. "I have to go now! Goodbye!" Daniel detached himself from the young man and ran down the corridor. He soon disappeared from sight._

Lord Guizha sighed at the memory. Daniel hadn't become completely like his father, but he still humiliated him in the court like his father did all those years ago.  
Even after the six months, he was treated like a child, his views shot down and rejected. The booming 'enough' from both kings still rang in his head, the sniggers and laughing racing around in his mind. He could stand it no longer.

The war-ruined man turned away from the portrait in disgust and walked out of the palace. He stood waiting for a few minutes until a little figure appeared from inside the bushes.

"It's about time, brat," he scowled. "Let's get out of this hellish place."

No more promises. No more humiliation.

Guizha was out for revenge.

* * *

 **OMFG, I AM SO SORRY THIS TOOK SO LONG.** I started to write this chapter a few weeks ago but I forgot to save and I lost half of it. Then I went to a German exchange in September so I couldn't write anything. However I changed it a little. I hope you like this chapter! Let me know what you think.

Omg I just realised Guizha sounds like Geezer XD

Which makes sense, because Guizha is an old man in this story.

Reviews please!


	5. Distractions

It was eleven-thirty on a Tuesday morning, and Aku, Daniel's older brother, strolled down the luxurious halls of the Imperial Palace. He was preparing to bid farewell to his son, niece and their families as they were to return to the Mao-Bankole family's private residence. The Ox King was Kami Knows Where, attending meetings and state visits. Nathan was busy elsewhere.

"Damned impudences. They won't even bother to spend time with their folks," he growled, loosening the tight braces around his shoulders. He stopped at a photograph of himself as a teenager, with a healthier, younger complexion, as well as a full head of hair. A small bald patch was beginning to develop on the royal's head and Aku did not like it one bit.

"I need to cut back on the red velvet cake," he sighed, patting his round tummy, turning back to the picture. He pouted at his former well-built structure _._ _Oh, what I'd give to be young again. Except for my family and the charity organisations, of course. I'm not that selfish._

The ginger Prince, suddenly spotting the group of seven through an open window, forgot about his weight and raced forward, vaulting through and landed perfectly on the entrance grounds. The group jumped in surprise, whirling around to see what the commotion was about. Shanumi had even whipped out her gun at her father-in-law, thinking it was an attacker. Upon realising who the 'threat' was, her gun was put away.

"Oh... Er... Hi Father," she called.

"Hello dear," the Prince groaned in pain.

Bradley blinked in confusion. "Dad, what are you doing on the floor? Be careful!"

"I came to see you off...can... You help me up please..."

Gohan immediately responded, running to his granduncle and pulling him up. The Demi-Saiyan had traded his royal outfit for a simple pair of black trousers and a blue shirt although the family's traditional sidelock of hair remained.

"That's very kind of you, my boy," Aku smiled, massaging his lower hip. "Gosh, I fell hard on that."

"Do you need a Senzu bean?"

"No thank you. I'm growing older by the minute. You'll have a beard like me soon Bradley!" His son scoffed at the remark.

Thanks for the offer though."

Shanumi began to fasten the twins into their car seats, Gohan following to strap Goten in as well. Bradley and Chichi talked more with the middle-aged man.

"Where's Dad and Uncle Nathan?" Chichi inquired, wiping her forehead. The August weather was unnaturally hot and the heat was beginning to have an effect on her human form.

"You dad's at some meetings and visits. Nathan's in the Garden of Solitude."

" 'The Garden of Solitude'? " Gohan repeated, walking back to the trio with his 'aunt'. "What's that?"

"It's a place where people can reconnect with the spirits of the dead," Bradley replied, running a hand through his chestnut locks. "I use it to connect to my grandpa from time. Maybe you can use it."

"Does this mean... I can talk to my dad?" Gohan asked hopefully, a light sparkling in his eyes.

"Yeah, you can. Not today though, you've got to get going," Aku replied, ushering the hybrid to the car. "Where did you say you were going again?"

"We're going to the West City Leisure Centre at three o' clock today." As Gohan said this, he swore he heard a slight rustle in the leaves of a nearby tree. Dismissing the noise as a possible animal, he hugged his relative and entered the car. Final farewells were said and the group sped off. A small figure observed the scene.

The Asset, otherwise known as Leilani, silently leaped off the branch she crouched on, moving swiftly through the trees at a quickened pace. She had to report this information to her master immediately. It could be useful, in time.

Woods and forests faded into golden deserts and the Asset knew she would land soon. Guizha was doing well to hide his secrets.

The Asset landed at the entrance of a small cave. There were no signs of life, or light. Nevertheless, she went in, using her ki to find her way. The tunnel went on for another five minutes until the child arrived at a steel door, which towered over her. An Identity Scan panel was attached to the left of it. A crackling sound of the intercom could be heard. A female voice rang out from it.

 _"State your name and position."_

"Leilani Guizha, Elite-Class Commander," she replied back, the name sounding wrong in her mouth. The girl chewed her lip. She just wanted to get the mission over and done with and visit her relative.

The woman over the intercom stammered _. "Th-thank you Miss. I'll initiate the scan and o-open the doors,"_ she stuttered. The young soldier rolled her eyes at the lady's timidness. Upon scanning her eye, the double doors creaked and opened up to reveal the secrets of the Ox-King's best-and worst- advisor.

Before the girl, a long, marble pathway, built high over a shallow lake, led directly towards a dark palace. The building was black in colour, but the highlights from the windows made it look almost luminous in the darkness. Hundreds of skyscrapers blended in with the towering form of rock stacks in contrast with the little homes dotted around the area.

The majority of former citizens of Insang wanted revenge on Oxania, so they foolishly put their faith in Guizha. He merely used the population to increase his popularity and reputation to get support. They had all been decieved. People wondered how he got an entire civilisation under his belt. Lies. The Asset knew it all too well.

The soldier removed her helmet and tapped a small button on the side. The helmet immediately changed shape, transforming into a simple device shaped like a pen. The girl held the ends of the device with her hands, breathing deeply.

She slowly shuffled forward. Her shuffles turned to steps, then strides until the girl's legs became a blur and accelerated into a full sprint. She leaped halfway off the ground, the pen-like object expanding and transforming into a much larger form of use: transport.

A light cycle, outlined with blue, landed quite harshly on the bridge. The engine roared and came to life, causing the bike to function and speed down the pathway. The Asset could barely see as her hair blocked her vision and her billowing cape barricaded the view mirrors, but she still managed to dodge and zip past several other light cycles driving towards her, carrying other soldiers with other jobs.

The assassin's cycle zoomed past the many artifacts and attractions. Skyscrapers and bridges on her left, a glowing arena on her right. Miniature planes zipped and zoomed across the area above her. The soldier had yet to call this place home, although she had to admit the scenery was...nice. She rather liked the view of everybody going about their daily business, making the city vibrant and alive.

The girl shook her head violently. She had to rid herself of those foolish emotions so she could concentrate on her mission. Her expression hardened as she sped off through the underground city.

* * *

Elsewhere, a family of seven were all huddled together in a rather large seven-seat car. The twins had fallen asleep. Chichi played with Goten and Gohan made himself busy by listening to music on his phone. The traffic wasn't improving one bit and they were all starting to get impatient. They had been stuck in that position for at least half an hour and there were no signs of progress.

Bradley gripped the steering wheel tighter as the seconds passed. "How long is this going to go on for? We have to go eat lunch and then go to the mall at three-thirty! " His normally easy-going attitude vanished and was replaced with irritation. The royal's annoyed demeanour turned sour further when he noticed that the car was low on petrol.

Chichi crossed her arms, closing her eyes in annoyance. "Thank Kami for Ki. Take my advice and fly to your house next time."

"Why didn't I think of that...thanks, Chichi."

"No problem, Brad."

The cousins sat in silence as the soft tunes of Just Jammin by Gramatik hummed out of the radio before Shanumi decided to break the silence. "I think we should do what Chichi said and-"

"I'VE HAD IT! We're getting out of here!" Bradley shouted. Without warning, he slammed his foot onto the pedals. The tyres screeched in terror and the engine roared as the car sped off into the sky. The impact of the acceleration startled everyone but the twins, who somehow remained asleep. Once they were in the skies, the women couldn't hold in their rage.

"Bradley Leopold Mao! What the hell was that?" Chichi screeched directly into her cousin's ear from the row behind him. "Do you want to kill us all?"

Shanumi frowned at her husband. "You're lucky the twins are asleep, otherwise I would've kicked your ass if they got hurt! Why didn't you give us a warning?"

"Well what else would you do if you were stuck in tra-" the Prince winced in pain as his ear was pulled by his cousin. "H-hey, let go!"

"I'm not letting you go until you apologise," the heir to the throne hissed.

"Never!"

His reply was answered with a frying pan to the head. "Say never again! Say it one more time!" Shanumi couldn't help but giggle at Chichi's display of superiority over her husband. "That's what you get when you mess with a Princess!"

Chichi flung Bradley over her shoulder into the back seat. "I'm taking over. I can't trust you to drive, Brad," she announced and vaulted into the driver's seat.

Bradley massaged the back of his head. "Kami, you're three years younger than me, Chi, and you can put up a good fight. Now I see why uncle wanted you to rule in the first place." The car, which had been floating a few moments ago, was brought to life again. The car swerved violently as Chichi changed the direction of the car, casing everyone to yell in surprise.

"Sorry!"

* * *

The Asset dropped down onto the soft material of a long red carpet running down the centre of a rather dark throne room. The Lord didn't hear her enter the room, although he sensed her presence from a few feet away.

"Ah, Leilani, you've returned," Guizha spoke, his cold, false sympathetic voice booming through the spacious hall. "Hopefully you've an update on your mission?"

The Asset knew he was talking about the assassination planned for the Oxanian royals.

"Rise."

She nodded and rose from her kneeling position on the floor. As she walked down the carpet, she couldn't help but notice something wss different about the throne room after she left. The number of guards surrounding the doors and windows had increased by ten. The soldiers were more heavily armed. They even had an armour upgrade. This confused the young assassin, as nothing peculiar had ever happened in the Palace of Guizha. Perhaps this was just in case of an attack.

"There was a little incident involving an attempted coup d'etat. The culprits have been eliminated, however it is necessary to have some backup. Someone has to remind these people who is in power."

Vanquishing her thoughts, the child came to a stop at the foot of the throne steps. "I have spotted sightings of the young Oxanian Prince," she confirmed. "He and his family plan to go to the West City Leisure Centre this afternoon at 3PM. It would be the perfect time to strike."

The Lord stroked his goatee, deep in thought. He abruptly rose from his seat, staring hard at the girl. His expression was frightening for most people.

"You know I can find out if you are lying, dear girl."

The child's heart skipped a beat. "Yes, my Lord."

'Well?" He inquired further, slowly walking down the steps, his hands behind his back. _"Are you lying?"_

"No, my Lord."

Her leader paused. "I will read your mind, child. And if I find out this information is false, there will be consequences." He finished the sentence by placing his hand upon the girl's head.

The Asset was a little unprepared for the sudden rush of pain attacking her brain. Various images of the last hour flashed past her eyes. She remembered spying on the royal family from the trees, the Prince looking up as if he heard something. Her journey back through the forest, her sights, everything.

Eventually her head was released. The child was sent back a few steps, her head reeling. A constant throb settled in her brain.

"Good, it was the truth. I am certain that I can trust you. This information can be proved useful when I meet with the war council later. You have done well." Guizha knelt down to the girl's height, placing his hand on her shoulders. His voice was much softer when he spoke. "My little Leilani."

She flinched at the name, refusing to meet his gaze, which the lord noticed.

"I will call you by that name whether you like it or not. A new name is also the key to a new start. I have great plans for you, my girl." He drew to his full height and swept his cape dramatically. Walking down the steps, he clicked his fingers towards the nearest soldier. "Escort Leilani to her chambers. At two-fifteen there will be a public announcement and I expect her to be there. I will call for her later."

"Yes, my Liege," the soldier replied, bowing to his superior. He bowed to the girl, gesturing towards the silver doors. The soldiers that she walked past saluted the assassin as she travelled down the curving corridors.

The duo walked through the halls for the next few minutes until they approached a pair of mahogany doors. Servants on standing on either side of the doors pulled them open to reveal the elite's room.

Guizha's adoptive daughter owned a spacious bedroom exquisitely designed to her taste. A circular-shaped bed was positioned in the centre of the room, accompanied by a furry white rug. A dressing table to her left, a plasma TV screen to her right. A long, horizontal window was right at the back, giving the soldier a view of the entire city.

The doors shut behind her and she removed her armour and cape, flopping onto the bed. She had already trained and eaten before she left. Now there wasn't much to do, except rest. The Asset had to admit that she felt faint after the brain scan.

She dreaded the upcoming assault. She absolutely dreaded it. An objection couldn't be made; it was not in her authority. She wondered about the plans her adoptive father had laid out for her. It was a nervous thought. She knew what Guizha was capable of, but maybe there was something he was hiding. Not many people were close to him, save his family.

The child longed to return to her old life, long before Guizha and Cell. Back when there was a sense of peace and serenity.

Flashes of her memories coursed through her brain, and the young child was soon fast asleep.

* * *

"Did you see Bulma's photoshoot with little Trunks on the cover of Vanity Fair?" Chichi inquired, stirring her cup of coffee. The family had finally arrived at Chogong Hall and were peacefully sat at the dining table for lunch. The twins and Goten kept themselves busy with toys.

"You bet I did. Bulma Briefs is a stunning lady. She's awfully nice. I got to know her a little when I worked for her father," Shanumi said in reply. "And Trunks is a little angel."

"He's my godson," the Ox Princess stated proudly. "He and Goten stick together a lot when I visit the Briefs'. It must be a matter of true friendship."

Shanumi sipped her coffee in thought. "Speaking of which, the twins do communicate a lot more now. There was one time they sat together and talked a little gibberish. It was adorable," she giggled. The Omoredian Princess turned from the bench. "Honey, how's lunch coming along?" She called directly to her husband.

 _Crash_. "Uh... could be worse..." a voice hesitantly replied.

The dark-skinned woman sighed. "Turn the heat down! Gosh, I don't know how he does it," she pondered, turning towards Chichi. "He burns up the kitchen but still manages to make a perfect meal. How did you manage?"

"Growing up with Bradley was a rollercoaster. In a good way, though," the heir to the throne added hastily. "He was doting, kind, and generous. I remember him being a lot stressed in his early teenage years, what with the royal duties, his parents' divorce and such."

"That is why I'm glad I didn't become King," Bradley shouted from the kitchen.

Shanumi shrugged. "Brad would make a great King. But you'll make a great Queen, Chichi." A small hand patted an even smaller one. "I'm sure of it."

Chichi smiled, but on the inside she felt uneasy. She felt much better about the upcoming battle, but she feared something worse was coming-and after all, it wasn't the first time Earth's existence was threatened. The Princess wasn't sure what to do about that. She hadn't trained for so long that a mere six months wouldn't change anything. She had been fighting almost all her life and yet she was the least experienced at the biggest turnpoint of her life. It was embarrassing.

Hiding her concern, she wore a false smile, kindly thanking her cousin-in-law. They chatted and looked after their children for a few more minutes until Bradley emerged from the kitchen, wearing a pale blue _Kiss The Cook apron,_ balancing multiple bowls on his arms.

"Lunch is served," he exclaimed, setting the bowls down on the table with shaking arms. "You'd better enjoy it, I slaved over it in the kitchen," he playfully quipped, plopping into his seat.

His wife snorted. "And burned it."

"Come on, 'Numi, give me a chance here!"

Gohan, who had been quiet the whole time, sat up straighter and pocketed his phone. He sniffed the savoury aroma wafting around the room. He recognised the scent immediately.

"Is that pork ramen?" The young hybrid asked.

"Yep," his uncle replied, separating his chopsticks. It's a Mao Family favourite. My grandfather used to make it when I stayed over at his place as a kid."

Chichi picked up the food with her chopsticks and blew the noodles gently between her lips. Chewing the food softly, her eyes widened in surprise. "This is really good," she said, scooping up an egg."I never knew you could cook like this!"

"I got my skills from you, Chichi," he replied. Gohan had already finished one bowl and was holding it out to his uncle. "More please," he asked politely.

The eldest Prince blinked and accepted the bowl from his hands. "That was fast," he murmured in shock. "How did you eat so quickly?"

"Saiyan Genes," both mother and son replied in unison.

"Ok, I'll get more for you then." Bradley got up to leave but a knock was heard in the distance. "Oh, that'll be Mum. She'll look after the kids while we're out." He bounded out of the dining room, followed by three active little babies.

"Oh look, they're trying to escape," Chichi laughed, getting up to follow Goten. Shanumi did the same, off to retrieve her son. "Gohan, please help me get Lola," she asked, beckoning him towards the front door.

Lola was surprised when her little hands and knees no longer touched the floor. She felt herself being lifted up into the air by two strong arms. The child came face to face with her eldest cousin, Gohan. The preteen pulled funny faces at Lola, who giggled loudly. She soon lost interest in his goofy attitude, as the Prince's tail happened to be swaying gently beside him, which the baby bent down to grab. Her unsuspecting cousin screeched loudly as his tail was pulled.

"Ow! That hurt," the second heir whined, massaging his injured appendage. He managed to pry it out of the baby's hands and back around his waist. Surprised at her loss of entertainment, the little girl stared up at her cousin with wide eyes, ready to spill with tears.

Gohan noticed this and as she began to whimper in protest. He hastily began to rock her as her bottom lip quivered. "No no no no, please don't cry! Shh, Gohan's here," he cooed softly. The child's eyes drooped slowly as she yawned. She soon fell asleep in Gohan's arms.

Chichi observed this from outside, smiling lovingly at her son. Bringng on the opportunity of raising his brother was a hard task, especially when his father had died. Seeing him bond with his cousins filled a space in her heart that had been gaping for a while.

Chichi looked down at her youngest. "What do you think, Goten?" She chirped. "Do you think Gohan will be a good daddy when he grows up, hm?"

The one-year-old happily babbled some nonesense in reply, playing with his tail.

"I'll take that as a yes," she concluded, shrugging.

* * *

Now fully awake and refreshed, Guizha's adoptive daughter had dressed and was making her way to the war council. She knew she had to move carefully; one mistake could mean the end of her life. And for that reason, she had no option but to follow orders. It was the only way she could survive.

The young soldier rounded a corner and came to a row of stairs leading down to a circular room. Guizha, and several other lords were surrounded around a holographic table. Their heads rose as they heard her advance down the steps.

"Good, you're awake now, my girl," Guizha greeted, patting his daughter on the shoulder. "Did you rest well?" he inquired softly, to which she nodded.

Guiding her towards the table, all the other soldiers and council members in the room stood and saluted the duo. The table was filled with holograms and models of the underground city and the one above.

The ruler of New Insang, one arm still around the Asset's shoulders, stretched his hand over the overground city model. "This, gentlemen, is what the overground citizens named Satan City last year," he began. "They named it after some mumbling fool who lied about Cell's demise,when it was really the new Prince."

"How pitiful," one lord added. "The press lapped it up like starving dogs."

"The overgrounders don't know who their real protectors are," said another. They don't use Ki or learn how to fight, like us Insangians. They have forgotten how their ancestors protected this planet."

"And that's how we'll rebuild Insang," Guizha replied, smirking at his officials. "First, we will restore the old Insangian Empire, demolished by the Oxanians, with me as its ruler. Second, on Saturday, our troops will march into Oxania and take over their kingdom during the Princess' battle. Myself and Leilani will dispose of the royal family personally," he spat. "Then it will be my head that will carry the crown, not Princess Chirakayna."

The Asset shuddered at Guizha's tone of finality. He really was out for revenge. This was going to get very dangerous for the citizens living above. Her head turned to the glass doors at the front of the room where she could hear megaphones and several voices of the citizens.

"Oh, that'll be the entire population outside," Guizha observed. "That's were we come in. Follow me, Leilani, gentlemen."

The glass double doors silently slid apart to reveal a few steps descending to a hovering circular platform. Guizha, the Asset and five lords stepped onto it. Thousands of feet below them stood millions of Insangians cheering and waving at their leader. Children were hauled onto their parent's shoulders for a better view. Roads and bridges were filled with people ready to hear him speak. Hundreds of Plasma TV screens hung at the top of buildings. Others orbited the city for people to watch.

"Today," Guizha began, his voice echoing through the microphones, "Is a new beginning for the Insangian people. A new future for the world!"

The millions cheered in response. Guizha lifted a hand to silence them. "For too long, us Insangians have been shunned, attacked and disgraced by the Oxanians. But this us the last straw."

The crowds cheered again. "Think of your ancestors; your parents or relatives who were lost when King Damorus marched his troops into our beautiful home and slaughtered them all. Think of all the suffering and death caused for us, while our enemies claimed victory." A few growls and snarls could be heard from down below. "But now, it will be their turn to experience loss and sorrow!

We will restore the Insangian Empire to its former greatness. I will be its ruler. And my daughter, Leilani," he announced, his hand on her shoulder, "your Princess and my heir, will carry on my legacy into the future when I am gone."

The child stared wide-eyed at the man beside her. This was what he was planning? To make her a Princess, his successor? It was almost too much to take in for the young fighter.

She stared down at her hands. Somehow he had drawn out her suppressed heritage-it was almost like he knew she possessed that kind of power the whole time. If Guizha trusted her enough to make her Insang's future leader, then she was surely going to be under a lot of pressure.

"We, as a great nation, will bring Oxania to its knees while we will taste victory! " Guizha bellowed. _"WE WILL TRIUMPH!_ "

The crowd roared in response, louder than they had before. Not a single voice was silent as they all repeated the words of their leader.

Guizha spun on his heel, the crowds still chanting _We Will Triumph_ as the platform moved back to the palace. "Prepare the troops. A fifty men on one aircraft to assist the Princess, five hundred on the warship. I will meet you all on the take-off deck."

All the lords nodded and followed Guizha in. The proclaimed Princess was left alone on the platform. Clenching her fists, she fastened her helmet and followed them in. War was coming, whether she liked it or not.

* * *

The four royals had finally left their home and had driven to the West City Lesiure Centre. The group had decided to buy some extra clothes for the coronation. Chichi, Shanumi and Gohan were currently waiting for Bradley to finish changing.

"This shirt or this one?" Bradley asked, emerging from the changing room, holding up two shirts.

"You'd look hot in either one," Shanumi smirked, chin in hand. Chichi couldn't help but laugh at her cousin's expression.

The Prince's face flushed red. "Tease. I'll try the white one." He disappeared back behind the curtains, leaving the trio alone again.

"I wonder how much trouble you went through while shopping with Goku," the policewoman asserted. "How did you survive?"

Chichi rolled her eyes. "Goku never liked wearing human clothes. He felt much more comfortable in that horrible gi. I got used to it, though I'd never leave the house again with a carrot for a husband."

Her cousin-in-law snorted. "I should be happy that Bradley knows what he likes to wear. Did you know, that when the twins were born, Lola cried when the nurse wrapped her in a pink blanket, so we replaced it with a spare blue one. Bradley thought we had two boys." The two women burst out laughing.

"Bradley can be clueless at times, but he's a great father and husband." Shanumi smiled. "I'm glad I met him."

Gohan listened in, although knew he shouldn't. The topic interested him. He had observed his uncle. He had seen how the man carefully handled his children as if they were glass, how he looked after his wife and kept her company. Bradley was inseparable from his family, and Gohan had to admit that he was a little jealous of his peaceful life.

Bradley eventually appeared from the changing room, this time fully clothed. "The white shirt was better, I'll take it," he confirmed.

The family walked over to the till, waiting to buy the clothes. Once it was their turn, Bradley walked up to the nearest one, placing the shirts on the counter.

Not glancing up, the saleswoman behind the desk removed the hangers and stuffed them into a bag. "That'll be Seventy-Five Zeni, sir," she recited in a blank, monotone voice. "Have a nice... day..." she trailed off, as she looked up, her eyes widening.

"Thanks, ma'am," Bradley replied, sliding a few notes to the woman. Noticing her overjoyed expression, he smiled bashfully. "Er...Hi?"

"Oh. My. _God_. I cannot believe I am in your presence right now," the young girl giggled. "I'm your biggest fan!"

The royal quartet grinned in appreciation as the girl babbled and chatted with them, much to Shanumi's disappointment.

* * *

Back at the underground civilisation of New Insang, the citizens continued their usual duties despite the war announcement. Many people felt proud and triumphant that their leader had decided to avenge their loved ones. Not many could disagree.

On one paticular side of the underground city, a skyscraper overlooked part of the suburban homes below. That skyscraper was a school, built to encourage the Insangian youth to contribute as much as they could to the new society.

One junior class was being taught by a young lady, and since it was a special day for the Insangian people, she had decided to teach them about the old monarchy.

"Our fomer state, also known as Old Insang, used to be ruled over for multiple centuries, kids," she began. "Who was the last monarch to rule there?" She asked the twenty pupils sitting behind their desks. The children, all clad in simple but formal outfits, waved their hands frantically in the air, screaming "Me, me,me!" One little girl timidly raised her hand. The teacher decided to pick her instead.

" Empress Yania, Miss Rosebelle," she answered.

"Correct, Milly," she replied, beaming at the class. The Empress, who abdicated more than fifty years ago..."

One little boy lost interest in the topic. With his chin in hand, the young Insangian began to gaze out of the windows, seeing as he was sitting directly next to it. Sometimes he wondered about travelling to the surface, if he was allowed. To experience the warmth of the sun unlike the fake, synthesized day-and-night display. To have ruffled hair in the breeze, to hear birds chirp through the trees.

His thoughts were interrupted by the sharp voice of his teacher. His head snapped back into place.

"Danver?" Miss Rosebelle asked, her hands on her hips. "Answer the question, please."

The little boy swallowed. "Uh, what was it?" A few sniggers arose from the children around him.

"The question, Danver," the teacher replied irritably, "Was where the two sons of Empress Yania fled to. Hopefully you studied this for your homework _like I instructed?"_

The seven-year-old began to stammer, only causing his classmates to snicker louder than before and his teacher to frown a little.

"Danver, I expect more from-" Miss Rosebelle stopped suddenly as she noticed the child pressed up against the glass windows. "What are you looking at now?" snapped.

"Miss Rosebelle, everyone, come look!" he exclaimed.

"Get back to your seat, young man!"

Filled with curiosity, Milly gingerly stepped out of her seat and peered out of the window next to Danver. After a few moments, she ushered the rest of the class to follow. Soon, blurs of children clad in white shirts, black shorts or skirts and grey kneesocks gathered around the window, pushing and shoving each other to get a better view of the spectacle above.

Confused about the commotion, Miss Rosebelle walked over to the windows and what she saw would amaze her for a very long time.

Above the skyscraper, many citizens could see the 'ceiling' of the city part to let natural light in. The real sun's rays poured onto the entire civilisation. Jets and planes ascended out of the gap, followed by the mothership.

Guizha was on that mothership, preparing his troops for the reoccupation of 'Old' Insang. His daughter was on the small aircraft behind them, accompanied by her fifty troops.

"We must succeed in this mission," he announced, pacing slowly in front of a line of soldiers. "Only you can determine the outcome of this." The soldiers followed Guizha with their eyes, not speaking a word.

Guizha smirked. "The future of Insang rests entirely in your hands, men. Do our country proud. Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes, Sir!" They all chorused.

"I can't hear you..."

 _ **"YES SIR**_!" they yelled ferociously, their bodies pumping with tension.

"Better." The ruler turned away from them and strode over to the pilot. "Activate the invisibility shield. We don't want to be spotted by anyone. Signal the Wasp to do the same."

"Yessir," the young pilot affirmed, flipping a few switches and typing on the holographic pad laid out in front of him. On the inside of the ship, nothing had changed at all. On the outside, not a single person was aware of the danger coming their way.

* * *

A long line had formed behind the four royals. Most people in the line were grumbling and complaining about the holdup, as the young woman had not stopped chatting for fifteen minutes. The royals were beginning to feel the irritation as well.

The saleswoman pressed her hands onto the table, lifting herself up to examine Bradley, causing him to back away a few inches due to the closeness between them. "You are, like, the _hottest_ man on the planet," she said slyly, winking at the Prince. "There is no way you're not a reincarnation of Adonis."

He blushed furiously, not scared of the saleswoman, but of his wife's growing anger. Her grip on his arm tightened with every comment the young woman made.

Just as Shanumi was about to explode with fury, the girl turned to her and said, "I didn't forget about you, Princess Shanumi! On my list of the top five most beautiful women in the world, you're second."

The dark-skinned Princess blinked, her anger vanishing. "Really? Thank you, I guess," she smiled akwardly, and beside her, her husband blessed the saleswoman a thousand times over for avoiding a fight.

Chichi decided to join in. "Am I on your list?" She inquired hopefully, her fists clenched in determination.

The saleswoman frowned in thought and then her eyes widened. "Oh, yeah you are!" She exclaimed.

The heir grinned. "What number?"

"You're..." Chichi held her breath.

"Third."

Chichi fell onto the floor, covered in a mountain of bags.

Bradley stared at his cousin confusedly. "Third's not bad, Chi."

Shanumi nodded. "I have to agree."

"It's not fair," a muffled voice whined from the miniature mountain. "I know Shanumi was second, but who was first?"

"Bulma Briefs."

A groan was heard from the bags.

"That's understandable," Bradley murmured thoughtfully. "She is quite pretty."

"Bradley," Shanumi warned.

The former Crown Prince began to sweat. "What? I dated her, like, ten years ago."

"Wrong answer," she growled.

"I'm sorry! You're prettier than her, I mean, she wasn't that nice to me, heh, I didn't like her after a while..."

The Omoredian Princess blocked out her husband's hasty babbling, knowing he didn't mean a word of it.

"Thanks for the shirts," she thanked kindly, turning to the irate line of customers. "Sorry for the holdup!" She dragged her family out of the shop.

* * *

Flown to Satan City via invisibility jet, the Asset and her troops silently landed on the roof of the building. She gathered them round, standing in a circle.

"We have to be very careful, troops," she began, removing her helmet. "One wrong move and we'll be found out. Can you assure me that this mission will go well?"

"Yes, ma'am," they all chorused.

"Great. There are five floors. I want ten of you on each one. From Akaro to Koto, you will be spread out around the area. Tenka, you will accompany me on the third floor, where the royals are. The rest of you, keep to the other floors until I give you a signal to your earpieces.

Those pins on your armour will change your attire to blend in with the overgrounders. _Don't_ fail, and _don't_ give up. We will triumph."

The group of fifty clapped quietly, and one by one changed their appearance, the young child herself changing into a summer dress and a rather big sunhat that covered half her face. No one could recognise them.

The Princess opened the door to the stairs and the first ten followed.

After a while, the soldiers had followed the Princess' orders and were cautiously scouting the area in pairs of two.

The Asset walked with one of her troops past Vogue, the shop where the Oxanian royals were. Pressing her earpiece, she sofly whispered into it to alert the soldiers.

"The royals are in the shop _Vouge_. I repeat, _Vogue_ , third floor. Get ready, they're coming out."

She signaled to Tenka to walk up close to Bradley and Shanumi, pretending to be on his phone. He switched on his earpiece, which was able to broadcast any sound around it.

"I'm sorry I said that stuff earlier, Shanumi," Bradley confessed. "I didn't mean it, really." His wife frowned at him, her arms folded. Eventually, she huffed and smiled at him.

"Don't worry. It was that saleswoman trying to piss me off. I bet she doesn't have a brain," she commented dryly. "Her neck can't support her big head."

Bradley chuckled at her comment. "Well, she deserved it. What should we do with all these bags? I'm not hauling them around."

"I'll take them to the car," she replied. "I'll only be ten minutes." She took the bags from Bradley's hands and helped Chichi with hers. Gohan noticed the haul she had and offered to help her.

"Thank you so much, Gohan," Shanumi remarked. "Your mother raised you well. Such nice manners," she complimented, to which the hybrid scratched his head bashfully. She walked back to her husband, pecking him on the lips. "We'll be right back," she chirped, and the duo disappeared. The royal cousins proceeded to talk together.

Tenka took that opportunity to walk away from the duo. He took the Asset's hand, as if they were father and daughter and began to casually follow Shanumi and Gohan. The child clicked her earpiece.

" _Omoredian_ and _Hybrid_ are going to the third level cark park. Third floor group, follow them until further orders. First, second and fourth, watch out for the other two."

Shanumi and her nephew had already finished loading the bags into the car. "Alright Gohan, that should be all of them," she declared, dusting her hands off. "When we get back to your mother and uncle, we'll go and get ice cream."

"That sounds great," the Saiyan replied. As they began to walk back to the shopping area, the young preteen felt a twitch in his body. The Prince began to hop on his feet, seeming rather urgent.

Shanumi stopped walking and blinked. "Are you ok, Gohan?"

"Uh, I really need to go, Aunt Shanumi," Gohan replied, his face screwed up, his tail lashing furiously behind him.

The Princess nodded and shrugged. "Okay, I'll meet you at the corridor back to the shops. Take the lift to meet me there," she added, as she walked away.

Shanumi pressed the button and waited a few moments for the lift to come down. The doors opened and a little boy holding his mother's hand, and five other men stood crowded in the small space. Not very comfortable in tiny areas, the royal gingerly walked into the lift.

The lift ride was deathly silent and Shanumi did feel a little uneasy. The air was stuffy and it did not help that the lights flickered. It really needed to be fixed.

She suddenly felt a tug on the hem of her top. Surprised, Shanumi looked down at the little boy. "What's wrong, kid?" She asked warmly.

"Are you Princess Shanumi, wife of Prince Bradley, member of the Omoredian Royal family and the Oxanian Imperial family?" He replied, with a smile.

A little unnerved, Shanumi nodded. "Uh...yeah, why?"

The child beamed. " _Perfect_."

Shanumi's heart sank into her stomach. What did he mean by that?

Her anxiousness increased when the people's casual clothes began to change, materialising slowly into a strange form of silver, steel armour, their smiles turning into smirks.

The more that changed, the more Shanumi's eyes widened in horror.

" _Capture Omoredian Princess: Mission complete,_ " a chilling chorus of voices sounded around her.

The child's smile never faced from his face. "You're one of us now," he hissed.

The last thing she did was to scream her husband's name, before her vision faded to black.

* * *

Gohan was not having much luck in finding his aunt. He had relieved himself at the bathroom and had taken the lift as instructed. She was nowhere to be seen.

He frowned. He remembered sensing her Ki not long ago but it had disappeared _. She couldn't have gone far_ , he thought _. Maybe she forgot and went back to Mum and Uncle Bradley._

The Saiyan had already called his mother's phone, which went to voicemail. It was possibly off, and he hadn't put Bradley's phone number in yet.

He walked over to the window towards the cark park exit, hoping to get a signal. He did not succeed as there was no data, and the battery was beginning to run low.

"Forty-two percent? No way, I charged it today," he grumbled, fumbling around with the buttons.

The hybrid was entirely focused on his phone that he didn't hear the sound of quick footsteps emerging towards him. Two hands shoved him, causing himself and the attacker to crash through the window, the glass shattering as they fell through the air, stunning people walking on the streets below.

The Prince rolled over continuously as he fell, while the Asset, back in her armour, landed directly on her feet. She tightened her helmet, waiting for the Saiyan to make his move.

The twelve-year-old grunted in pain, the glass having cut and scarred him a little. His Saiyan and Demon side were boiling with rage, wanting to destroy the attacker.

 _Kill that imbecile that attacked you_ , his Saiyan side screamed.

 _No. Kill them all_ , his demon side argued. _They're all weak and helpless_.

Snarling, the young Prince drew to his full height. With clenched fists and darkened eyes, he growled, "Don't push me to my limit, or you'll be sorry." The hybrid was barely holding onto his humanity, afraid that he would break from all bounds and show no mercy.

"Who are you?" He demanded.

The Asset merely watched Gohan, unfazed by his threat. Although no further words passed between them, it was readable in their eyes that they were both ready to fight.

* * *

 _"Sorry for the inconveniece. Please try again later."_

"Damn," Chichi swore. "My phone's out too. Gohan hasn't picked up."

"That's the same with Shanumi's phone," Bradley added. "They've been gone for more than twenty minutes. I'm beginning to get worried."

"Don't worry, Brad," the Princess replied, placing a hand on his broad shoulder. "Wherever Shanumi is, I'm sure Gohan is with her."

Bradley nodded although he still felt unsure about his wife's whereabouts. They had moved from the corner of Vogue and were currently sitting in the chairs near the exit.

He was about to reply to his cousin when a sudden pain seared through his brain. He yelled out in surprise, gripping his head, his eyes screwed shut.

"Bradley! What's wrong? Talk to me," Chichi pleaded, as she could do no more than rub his back.

"I... feel like someone's speared me through the head," the royal replied, through gritted teeth. "Almost like... fatigue."

The Princess thought for a moment. She had taught Gohan about how demons shared a bond between their loved ones. If Bradley felt faint, then so did his wife.

"Bradley," Chichi whispered, finally realising the problem.

Her cousin stared confusedly at her, then his eyes widened in understanding. "What... you don't mean..."

"Yes I do," Chichi sighed. "The Bond Pact."

"Oh, _fuck,_ " the Prince mumbled, his head resting in his hands. "What's happened to her..."

"I don't know," Chichi admitted. "I haven't sensed anything wrong with Gohan. Hopefully he's alright..."

The pain in Bradley's mind had stopped, but he couldn't get his head around his wife's disappearance. It was possible that she could be dead. He pinched the bridge of his nose, trying not to lose control.

 _Shanumi, what have you gotten yourself into,_ he thought _. Oh Gohan, you better protect her._

The royal clenched his fists, rising from the chair. "We have to help them," he growled, in a serious tone. "Let's tell our fathers."

His cousin agreed and they both took off to the skies.

Meanwhile, on the still-invisible mothership, the Insangian soldiers and warriors were preparing for battle. Every tank, gun or ki ball was aimed at East City. Not a sound could be heard. All held their breath to hear their master give his command.

Guizha, sat on a throne in the middle of the control room, glanced at a small picture of himself as a child and his family. The wrinkly, worn down framed image was placed beside a much newer one, of him and his adoptive daughter, both smiling respectively.

In his eyes, he was doing it for them. He could finally avenge the fallen people of his country, rid himself of the humiliation cast on him and start anew. Starting off with a warm welcome.

The biggest missile was raised, aimed directly towards the peaceful, unsuspecting civilisation of East City.

Guizha raised a single hand in its direction.

His new target.

His new Empire.

"Fire."


	6. Distortion

Anxiety began to settle in as Shanumi's eyes snapped open, fully knowing she was not at the shopping centre anymore. Unknown to her, she was several feet underground.

As her blurred vision came into focus, she noticed that she had been put in a rather elegant room. The ceiling, walls and floor were all a striking black marble, although a white fur rug and white furniture made it seem more alive. A translucent curtain covered the wide built-in window.

The Princess was rather confused about where she had ended up. Why had she been kidnapped? What was this place? Could she escape?

She felt a sudden throbbing pain searing through her head, causing her to wince slightly. _Did those people knock me out? Kami, I need a pill..._

Shanumi's eyes rested on a peculiar looking white box, tied up with a red ribbon. Beside it, a tray with a glass and plate lay waiting for her.

The royal frowned _. Something smells fishy_ , she thought. _Why would there be a random plate of food in the middle of nowhere?_

Her thoughts were interrupted by a low rumble from her stomach. "Well, I haven't eaten in a while," she remarked, patting her stomach. She picked up the plate of steak and roast potatoes and began to eat with gusto, swallowing every morsel.

Once she had finished eating, she turned her attention to the untouched box. She untied the ribbon and as she lifted the lid, her eyes widened in surprise.

"Oh my goodness," she breathed. A pair of white heels lay beside a long, white silk dress. The outfit was held together by an translucent sleeves threaded together to resemble flower patterns. Towards the bottom, the dress was detailed with hundreds of blue flowers. A little tiara with a blue flower rested in the box.

"It's beautiful," she smiled. Her smile suddenly vanished. _Doesn't the person who got me this know_ _I'm married?_ She frowned. _What are they playing at?_

The mother-of-two stared down at her clothes, somehow soiled and torn. Patches of soot and dust littered her outfit.

 _I don't want to know what transportation they took to get me here_ , she thought, sighing in defeat. _This dress will have to do._

She took a few minutes to change clothes and compose herself before leaving the room. Four soldiers stood guarding the door outside. Shanumi turned to nearest one, a little irate.

"I need some answers," she demanded sternly. "Where am I and why am I here?"

"You are on board The _Essence_ , Your Imperial Highness," he replied. "However, I do not know what purpose you serve here. Maybe I can-"

"Take me to your leader then," she snapped.

The soldier visibly shuddered and delivered the Princess a slight nod. "Yes, your Highness. Right this way."

The journey to the control room was a short lift ride and a five-minute walk through the main corridor. The atmosphere of the establishment alone sent Shanumi spiralling into a sense of awe and bewilderment.

She could barely comprehend what it was all for. Multiple rows of desks with men and women alike had hologram screens being pressed at. The sheer concentration claiming the minds of the staff stunned her. She could almost feel the intensity radiating off them all.

It was maddening. It was fascinating.

The soldier stepped to the side and saluted a figure sitting upon a high-raised chair on a platform, a back facing them. "Your Excellency," he began. "May I introduce Her Imperial Highness, Princess Abisade-Shanumi of Oxania."

A low chuckle was heard from the man, sending shivers down Shanumi's spine. "Imperial," he repeated, mockingly. "Royal sounds much better, to me, at least."

The Princess stood her ground. "Why did you have me brought here?" she asked, quite irritated by the man's lack of seriousness.

"It's a shame you married into an Imperial family, Mrs Mao," he replied, ignoring her question. "Had you stayed a royal, you would have a lot more freedom. What a shame..."

"I will not ask again. Tell me why I am here."

"Tell me, Your _Royal_ Highness," he remarked, adressing her with her old title, his chair swivelling round slowly, "Why you betrayed your family."

Shanumi was left in utter shock. "Guiton?" She whispered, not believing her eyes.

"Guizha, darling," he corrected, advancing down the steps. "Guiton was merely an illusion made to fool the Emperor. A disguise. When I was in my twenties, I joined the council thinking I could reconcile with my enemies. I was so wrong." He stepped towards the woman in white. "The dress is a way to apologise for insulting you yesterday," explained the Lord. "Although... my soldier's journey down the elevator shaft was quite messy. It's not a graceful entrance, so I had the dress custom made for you."

The Princess nodded in gratitude, before frowning at the amount of workers at desks and holographic screens. "What...is all this for?"

"The world's future, Princess," he replied. "I plan to rebuild my country of Insang and make it stronger than ever before. I've initiated the takeover of Oxania and no one can stop me."

"Well, what am _I_ here for?" She blinked, still shocked at this revelation.

The Lord stroked his greying goatee. "Originally, I was going to have you killed," he responded, a look of horror settling on Shanumi's face. "But that won't do you any good, or me, for that matter."

"I've had enough of this," Shanumi snarled. "First you have me kidnapped, then the dress, now this? I need an explanation for this nonsense."

Guizha said nothing as the Princess frowned at him in disgust. If anything, he was amused.

"You're one of Daniel's best advisors. He trusted you, more than the others," she continued. "How could you betray him like that, for forty years straight? You're unbelievable."

She marched straight up to the sixty-year-old. "I don't care what plans you have. You betray one member of the family, you betray all of us. I will not stand by and watch you crush them. This charade has gone on long enough."

Guizha just smirked. "What were you taught about the Oxanian-Omoredian war?"

Shanumi blinked. "Excuse me?"

"Your studies as a young girl," he replied. "You were taught it. I was. What can you tell me about it?"

The dark beauty wasn't sure where the Lord was taking the conversation. She swallowed nervously. "Th-the war was nine hundred and seventy-two years ago. Queen Chirakayna of Oxania waged war against my ancestor King Adebola Adenuga of Omorede for the right to own the valley of gold lying between their kingdoms."

"Good start." Guizha began to pace around the room slowly. "What happened then?"

The Princess crossed her arms. "If I knew this was a history lesson, I would have gone back to colle-"

" **Answer the question** ," he spat, his tone of voice taking a turn for the worst.

"Fine. Oxania won the six-month long battle and claimed the valley as their own, although it belonged to the King. He tried to fight for it back, but the Queen threatened to destroy the entire country if they did."

"Barbarians," Guizha snarled. He stopped pacing. "Thieves. Don't you see, Princess? The Oxanians take things that don't belong to them."

"But King Daniel returned the valley back to them to apologise for his ancestor's actions."

"That's not the point. Must they destroy everything in their path and steal things? All those innocent Omoredians who died. Your people, Princess."

Shanumi felt a pang of guilt, and a little anger at the Oxanians. But she had to remember it wasn't their fault. The blame rested on a foolish Queen going into unecessary war.

"Those Oxanians did the same thing to the Insangians. Innocent people. My family," he pleaded. "Our countries have suffered at the hands of Oxania for too long. This time, it will be them that will lose their loved ones. Be my ally, Princess Shanumi of Omorede. Join me, and we will restore the glory of our fatherlands."

The royal stared at Guizha's outstretched hand. If she accepted his proposal, they could avenge the fallen of their countries and take back their property that was stolen. But on the other hand, she had married into an Oxanian family, had Oxanian-blooded children. What's worse, she and her husband were royals of those kingdoms. It would damage both her families if she said yes.

Family over Feud, she thought and drew to her full height despite her nervousness. "I can't accept that, Lord Guizha," she announced loudly.

Guizha shrugged. "No matter. There are other ways to work this out." He waved his hand. "Somebody get our guest some tea." A nearby butler bowed and walked out of the control room.

Shanumi crossed her arms. "Don't you mean hostage?"

The Lord chuckled. "Nonsense. You are our guest here. Sure, you may have had a rough journey to get here, but my servants will make your stay worthwhile."

"If you think you'll get away with this, then you're very mistaken," Shanumi replied, drawing attention for the workers around her. Her voice was just under a restrained shout.

"You have clearly kidnapped me for a purpose I refuse to perform. I won't be a piece in your chess game. You're just an evil man with evil intentions. Now, kindly point me to the nearest exit, you cretin," she ranted.

All traces of positive nature left Guizha's face. A solid frown stuck to his features. "Let me show you something, Your Highness," he muttered, holding out a hand for her to take, and as she hesitantly did, the Princess was surprised at how cold and rough his hands were.

The self-proclaimed ruler of Insang led the Princess the main hologram screen hanging in the middle of the room.

"Access War Files," he announced.

"Opening War Files," the robotic voice replied. "Initiating..."

The screens suddenly became filled with images and videos of the Oxanian-Omoredian war and the Insangian Invasion. Sounds of bombing and screaming erupted from the audio. Shanumi's mind barely managed taking in all the horrific and destructive scenes. Cities destroyed. Civilians left homeless. The leaders of Oxania rejoicing. Her blood boiled.

"My husband will come for me," she said calmly, exhaling slowly to avoid distress over the tapes. "So will the rest of his family, and you will learn that you have done so much damage."

The false advisor sneered. "If the Prince really loved you, don't he think he would be here already to rescue you?"

Shanumi had a sharp intake of breath and then exhaled shakily. She knew the man was lying-she didn't need to think to realise that. Bradley loved her strongly and so did she; nothing could break that bond. The Princess wondered why he would use such weak manipulation.

At that moment, she was having trouble surpressing her anger.

Guizha placed a hand on her shoulders. "For fifty years, I have waited to carry out my revenge. It's taken years for Insang to recover from her downfall. It is time to make the Oxanians pay for what they have done."

As Shanumi processed his words, she realised he felt some guilt in thinking the Ox King would respect him. She knew extracting revenge was wrong, but she couldn't help but think that two wrongs could make a right.

"You can see what is happening. They use violence to get their way," he concluded, as the Princess absorbed all the infomation. "The world will be much better place without them, you'll see."

* * *

The double doors to the throne room burst open as the royal cousins bolted through. Nathan, being the only other person present in the room, looked up expectantly from his briefing documents.

"You're back early," he surmised. "Where's Shanumi and Gohan?"

"That's why we came back sooner," Bradley replied, out of breath. "We think Shanumi might have been kidnapped, and Gohan's gone missing."

The middle-aged man grit his teeth, dropping his papers onto the table. "This won't do," he snarled, rising from his seat. "You've had no answer from their mobiles?"

"They're both not responding," Chichi returned.

"We have to inform my brothers. They're in the middle of a conference, but hopefully they'll come out sooner or later," Nathan replied. He walked over to the nearest butler, speaking to him in a very serious tone. The butler nodded in reply and darted out of the room.

The butler came back after a few minutes while the royals waited impatiently. He bowed to the trio, relieved they had not snapped from anger.

"Your Imperial Highnesses," he began, "His Majesty the Emperor and His Highness Prince Aku will arrive in fifteen minutes."

"We can't wait that long," Bradley snapped. He began to step forward, but his cousin held him back.

"Yes we can, Bradley," Chichi chimed in, trying to convince her cousin to listen. Unfortunately, the Duke wouldn't have it otherwise.

The irate father-of-two frowned at the Princess. "Your son is missing and you want to wait for two people playing with their friends?"

"Bradley, please, just listen," Chichi pleaded. "I know you're worried about Shanumi but we can't have our Dads interrupt this conference. They've been planning it for weeks."

"Would you say that if Goten went missing too?" he replied bitterly, snatching his arm away. He stalked over to the window, crossing his arms in a silent manner of anger.

Chichi's heart sank at his comment. She wanted to argue that Gohan was able to protect himself because he was older and stronger. But the Princess knew he was right-she would be terrified if her baby son was taken from her. It was hurtful to think of, and worrying that her eldest could be anywhere.

It wasn't long until the doors opened again and council members poured into the throne room, exiting out to the main entrance. They were followed by the Emperor and his brother, who were both laughing about something together. Their speech halted when they saw their children.

"Chichi? Bradley? You're back early," the Ox King stated. "Where are-"

"I'll explain, or we'll be here all day," Nathan interrupted, walking up to his youngest sibling. He relayed the information back to his brothers, who were taken aback at the news.

"We shouldn't stand around doing nothing. We have to go and find them; they're in danger," Bradley complained, to which his father grumbled in annoyance.

"Bradley, we haven't formed a plan," the ginger-haired man remarked. "May I remind you that we have no strategy and we can't sense their energy."

"You don't have to talk down on me. I have children of my own, I'm not a child," his son retorted, clenching his fists.

"You act like one sometimes," he muttered. Unfortunately for Aku, his son heard him. Bradley growled in anger, again being held back by his cousin.

"We don't have time for this spat," she announced firmly. "Let's all act as responsible as possible."

"I couldn't have said it better myself," Aku agreed. "Our family needs us and we shall support them."

"Oh, and that's something you've been doing?" Bradley muttered under his breath. His Sire put a hand up to his ear. "Speak up, son, I can't hear you. What did you-"

 _"WAKE UP! OUR FAMILY IS IN DANGER_!" The Prince roared.

"Don't you _DARE_ raise your voice at me, boy," Aku snarled back.

The others in the room could feel the tension rising rapidly between father and son. Both glared at each other, not backing down.

"If you would both stop bickering, then we might be able to do something about this," Nathan asserted. The eldest of three brothers walked over to Magda, who was standing nearby. Being the head of all the staff at the palace, he knew that she could be heavily trusted.

"What do you need, Your Imperial Highness?" she asked.

Nathan regarded her sternly. "I need you to contact General Hui and ready the fleet. Earlier on TV I saw the attacks on East City. We need to be prepared if anything else happens. Can you do that?"

The curly-haired redhead nodded. "I'll make a phone call immediately." She darted quickly to the courtoom, leaving the family behind.

The eldest Prince in the family walked back to his relatives. He turned to his niece. "Chichi, you and Bradley will take Aku to where you last saw those two. Your father and I will stay here."

The family approved of his plan and started to go their separate ways.

"If anything comes up again, call us okay?" The Ox King's voice called from down the hall.

"Okay dad," Chichi replied. The Queen-to-be, along with her uncle and his son, dashed out of the palace entrance and into the skies.

Chichi sighed heavily. _Stay out of trouble Gohan, please._

* * *

The walls of Capsule Corporation shook as a low rumble vibrated the floors. The head of the corporation and the Z fighters, minus Gohan, were sat comfortably in a sitting room, suddenly startled and disturbed at the interruption.

"What the heck was that?" Bulma shreiked, clutching strands of her hair. "Is this an earthquake? Are we under attack?"

Yamcha tried his best to comfort the lady. "Bulma, calm down," he reasoned. "There's no need to panic, we can-"

"Well what else do you expect me to do when your house shakes?" She yelled, causing the former bandit to scamper away in fear.

Nearby, Tien and Krillin observed the duo quietly, the taller bald man a little irritated at the pair.

"Stop making noise and let Chiaotzu concentrate," he snapped, crossing his arms. His little friend sat at a table, eyes shut in concentration. He opened his eyes and regarded the people in the room with a serious expression.

"That explosion came from East City," he announced.

Bulma exhaled dramatically and slouched into a chair. "We're under attack again," she whined. "Just when we thought we were finished with Cell..."

Krillin shuddered at her comment. "Gee, I just hope I don't die this time... Eighteen is pregnant and I've got to be around to support her."

"Good for you, Krillin," Puar chirped, "But we need to know what just happened."

Chiaotzu sat up abruptly. "I just felt Chichi's Ki! She's just come from downtown West City... with two others and they seem strong..." the former Emperor paused in concentration. "Okay, Chichi's going downtown, and the other two people are heading towards East City."

"Maybe Chichi knows what's going on," Bulma thought, chin in hand. Her thoughts were interrupted by the sudden deafening ringing of a phone, causing a little voice a few doors down to start wailing.

Bulma groaned. "Great, that god-awful phone woke up Trunks from his nap," she complained, rising from her seat, before being stopped by Yamcha.

"You go answer the phone. I'll get Trunks," he said, and left the room. Bulma did as she was told, picking up the phone to answer it. She raised it to her ear.

"Hello?"

"Bulma? Oh thank goodness, you answered," a female voice replied through the phone.

"Chichi? Is that you? Did you hear about what happened?"

"Chichi's on the phone?" Krillin interrupted, causing everyone minus Bulma to shush him.

Carrying on with the conversation, the Princess told the heiress about everything that had occured in the last hour. Eventually, the call ended and Bulma turned to the group.

"Alright gang, listen up," she declared, hands on her hips. "I may not know how to fight, but for now I'm the unofficial leader of the Z Fighters in Chichi's abcense."

The men in the room grumbled until Bulma silenced them angrily.

"Chichi's just told me that her cousin-in-law's been kidnapped and Gohan's gone missing. We need to form some way to help her."

Piccolo, who had been silent for a while, almost slipped from his resting place on the wall. "What? Gohan's missing?" He frowned. "Wherever he is, he knows how to protect himself."

"That's true, but we should be able to help them," Krillin chimed in. "Just in case, I mean," he added hastily.

The bluenette's fingers drummed on a nearby table. "Hm. Well, we're a few members short. Goku's obviously dead, Gohan's missing and Chichi is elsewhere." She paused for a few minutes, suddenly standing up straight.

"I've got it!" she exclaimed. "Okay. Piccolo, Tien and Chiaotzu, you'll go and help Chichi downtown. She's on her way to the Leisure Centre. Krillin, you and Yamcha will stay here with me until further notice. That means the only other person to fight with us is..."

Bulma's ex-boyfriend came shreiking into the room, with a blur of lavender stuck to his head. The ex-bandit managed to pry the kicking and screaming toddler from his face, holding him at arm's length.

"Bulma, your kid is crazy," he croaked,almost sobbing. "You should keep him on a leash or somethin'!"

"Yamcha!" Bulma yelled in disbelief. I'll do no such thing to my son!" She scowled at him, bearing her teeth, as her two-year-old child released the baseball player and leaped into his mother's arms, his lavender appendage coiling around her wrist. Their little spat was interrupted when a certain Saiyan strode into the room, wearing a smug look on his face.

Vegeta observed the poor fighter's cuts and bruises given to him by Trunks. His tail waved mockingly in Yamcha's face, who was then kneeling on all fours.

He smirked at the human. "Hn. That'll teach you to put your grubby little paws on my boy. Like me, Trunks is a royal Saiyan Prince, and he possesses great power. Let that sink in." His gaze left Yamcha to settle on his partner. "What's going on around here?"

Bulma relayed the information to her husband who, after being told, scoffed and crossed his arms.

"So Kakarot's brat has decided to get lost? How pathetic," he sneered. "And that harpy makes it worse by intervening in a battle. And she calls herself a royal."

"She can fight, you know," Bulma muttered. "Vegeta, we might beed your help if something comes up."

"You think I'm going to waste my time running after a harpy instead of training?" The Saiyan inquired.

"You will, or you can forget about using the Gravity Room."

The last-living Saiyan sighed. "Fine. But don't expect me to bring her back alive." He sauntered off back to his training.

Bulma stroked her son's head and smirked at her friends. "Great. We're all settled. Now, let's get out there and make a difference!"

* * *

In the midst of downtown West City, two young fighters battled against each other. Some onlookers stayed to watch the fight in awe, while others fled in fright.

The Prince, still in base form, delivered a sharp kick to the Princess' side, who in return sent a green Ki blast hurtling his way. He dodged it, sending it shooting upwards into the sky. He regarded his opponent in a serious manner.

"I'm not going to fight you here," he said in a serious tone. "These people will be in danger. Follow me," he concluded, a white aura surrounding the boy as he took off into the skies. Another trail of Ki followed behind.

The safety of the citizens wasn't the only reason the hybrid left the city. Gohan was now well known and anybody would recognise him from a few metres away. The press could be anywhere, taking unwanted pictures of him- he didn't want to be in the spotlight just yet. He had to sort this matter out first.

A short way behind him, the Asset switched on her transmitter on her helmet, quietly whispering into it. _"First troops, stay at the mall. Third troops have taken the Omoredian Princess. I want you to split into five pairs of two. If you see the Oxanian Princess, capture her and take her to the Essence. Second and Fourth troops, return to the Wasp and come to my location. Asset out."_

Right. The troops are on their way, the soldier thought. I just have to hold my own until they get here.

The two eventually landed at a deserted wasteland, very much scarred by battle. Dents and holes littered the sandy Earth, and only Gohan knew where this was.

The Cell Games battlefield.

He could battle this new person here, and then confront him to find out what the heck was going on. Following those thoughts, the Ox Prince took up his fighting stance, waiting for the other to attack.

A few moments passed until the Asset dashed forward and delivered a swift punch to the hybrid's gut. He choked briefly, but recovered and spun to kick his opponent away, who simply skidded away from the force, creating swirls of clouds to form at the assassin's sides.

The young fighter paused as a green aura surrounded her, rocks beginning to tremble. The ground shook beneath her feet as her power rose. Her armour hid her growing canines, her reddening skin and the fading of her eyes from blue to green. Although Gohan couldn't see her transformation happening but he could sense it. He stood on guard, ready to accept any attack given.

The Asset finished powering up and immediately charged towards the Saiyan once more, punching his face, sending him reeling. She didn't stop and sent multiple punches and kicks his way. Unfortunately for her, Gohan grabbed her fist midway and hurled her away from him.

The half-Saiyan frowned. "I'm done playing games. Tell me what you're here for."

The Asset regarded him silently. She noticed that the Prince was beginning to get angry. She knew then that she had to act fast, even without her team being there.

Keeping hold of her determination, she ducked when the Prince aimed a punch at her. In response, she kicked him where he would be injured the most.

Gohan yelled out in pain, gripping the area between his legs. "Why'd you have to go and do that?!" He demanded, coughing a little. The Asset gave no reply. Instead, she vanished, reappearing inches away from Gohan's face. He wasn't expecting a sudden pain in his neck, his throat tightening. He clutched the Asset's hands, trying to pry them off. He began to gag and retch from the lack of oxygen. He was losing it, and fast.

With limited time and options, he smashed his head against her helmet, causing it to crack and shatter a little. He did it once more, sending the Asset backwards, gripping her destroyed helmet. She turned away from the Saiyan, tossing her ruined helmet away.

A few metres away, Gohan gently pressed his neck, coughing deeply for air, one eye shut in pain. His body and clothes were littered with cuts and bruises. His head throbbed from the force of the headbutt. None of that mattered, as he saw a shuttle land a while away from them. In a few minutes, Gohan was surrounded by several men in black armour pointing guns at him, shouting at him to surrender in a strange language. Exhausted, beaten and very confused, the Saiyan raised his arms slowly sinking to his knees.

The Princess nodded towards her troops in gratitude while they saluted back. "Well done, men. We have completed our mission." Behind her, Gohan scowled at everyone around her.

"Mission? What mission? Tell me," he demanded, to which the Asset was silent, although she turned to face him.

" _Capture Ox Prince: Mission Complete,_ " she recited, her voice monotone.

Once he saw her face, Gohan's mind went blank in surprise, horror and fear. He had been confused about the sudden attack, but this he was not suspecting. All reason for fighting the Asset was stripped away, leaving him confused, a little frightened and utterly betrayed.

The throbbing in his head worsened, his body went numb although pain seared through his body. He said nothing as the adoptive daughter of Guizha stared blankly down at him. Dark spots blurred his vision, fading in and out of focus, as he said one thing:

"L-Lime?"

And then he let his pain overtake his mind, lulling him into darkness.


End file.
